Travel Post - Alternative Algarve

Readers, I yet again apologise for the backseat taken in the blogging world. I’ve been trying my hardest to keep my Insta up to date, whilst also not becoming a slave to Insta. I’m also keen to try and post more regularly on my actual blog, because my little piece of the internet was designed to be about my words and life adventures.  Not me trying to get 20k likes because I’m in a bikini (sorry influencers).

Anyway, as some of you might have seen on Insta, last month we went to Portugal for a week, specifically the Algarve.  You might wonder why this Glasgow blogger picked the Algarve?  Having not been in about 14 years, we got a cheap deal at an amazing hotel that we spotted on Holiday Pirates and decided to take the plunge and book a cheap week away.  It turns out our cheap week in the Algarve was indeed excellent. The hotel was fantastic and it was lovely to experience a different type of holiday. 

So for today’s post I’m talking Alternative Algarve and some suggestions if you decide to go as a couple in their late 20s or 30s – I think where we stayed MIGHT be a bit tame for some of the younger squad, but perfect if you're looking for peace and tranquility. 

Monchique – Many Mountains

We stayed near Monchique – a pretty little Algarve town up the mountains. It’s suffered terribly from last year’s forest fires, so we felt it really important to go and help their tourism spend.  It’s a long and winding road up to Monchique, so you’d really need to hire a car if you’re going, but it’s an incredibly peaceful place to be.  There are some traditional roadside restaurants, serving decent grub at affordable prices too!

Hire A Car

As I mentioned above, consider hiring a car.  The Algarve is fairly easy to drive around, well signposted and it allowed us to venture across many parts of the Algarve.  Hire from a reputable company though and consider the damage waiver, as the Portuguese drives are a bit different from the brits!

Like a Spa?

We stayed at Monchique Resort and Spa – a BEAUTIFUL 5 star hotel near Monchique.  We stayed bed and breakfast (the breakfast was epic).  There’s an underground car park for your hire car, a gorgeous pool with views over the mountains and most of the rooms are suites with massive beds, outdoor terraces with loungers and a home from home feel.    The Spa at the hotel is stocked by ESPA and my massage was wonderful.  The spa circuit was also a fabulous way to spend a few hours on a windy spring morning.

Head to Benagil Caves and Beach

A bit less touristy, you can drive here, park up the car, walk around the caves and then head down to the small beach for a bit of sunbathing afterwards.  If you’d like to get close up, there are cave boat trips and paddleboarding adventures here and its’ a favourite with the Algarve surfing community.

Eat Piri Piri Chicken

You can’t go to the Algarve and not enjoy a piri piri chicken (either half or whole, depending how hungry you are) served with fries.   This is a staple dinner in the Algarve and we found a great place that was stumbling distance from Monchique Resort and Spa, called Foz do Banho, where we had dinner for 2 for less than £30.

Spot Shipwrecks

If you happen to be down in the old fishing village of Alvor on your travels, see if you can spot the shipwreck near the beach… Top tip, you’ll see it in the afternoon.

Image Credit - Instagram dougies_wee_world

Visit the Most South Westerly Point in Europe

An hour or so will lead you to Sagres and on to the most south westerly point in Europe. You can see the lighthouse, walk along the cliffs and loudly shout NEXT STOP AMERICA… if you want to be that annoying person.

Enjoy a Leisurely Seafood Lunch

The Algarve’s restaurants in the more out of town locations are what you would call “rustic”.  Don’t expect hip, modern interiors. Do expect incredibly fresh seafood, delicious Algarvian wines and a no rush attitude, where you can sit for several hours, chatting and enjoying yourself.

Go Historic in Silves

A lovely town, along the west coast, Silves has beauty and history in equal amounts.  Have a quick lunch near the bottom of the town and build your energy levels for an uphill walk to the cathedral and castle. Walk the old walls and enjoy spectacular views over the town.

 Enjoy an evening in Lagos

We decided to spend our second last night in Lagos – a beach town, with plenty of restaurants and bars to pass an evening.  We stayed in a rustic villa complex with a little outside patio around a 15 minute walk to the main town and a 10 minute walk along to the caves in Lagos.  We only stayed one night, but can recommend taking a stroll past many of the restaurants and bars, taking your time to find one you like. 

Top Tips for a Short Trip to Prague

Readers, I’ve been on my adventures again. I’ve been in Prague.  Somewhat unfairly, Prague has a bit of a reputation for a booze culture, stag and hen parties everywhere and well, that’s about it.

This Glasgow travel blogger though, reveals that this couldn’t be further from the truth. Prague is beautiful – gorgeous architecture, narrow winding streets and plenty to do that doesn’t involve getting smashed in the pub.

My latest travel blog focuses on alternative Prague.  Other cool things that the city has to offer, secret Prague if you will. Not just about landing for a weekend and drinking cheap beer. 

If you happen to visit Prague and go to any of these places, be sure to let me know.

Hemmingway Cocktail Bar

After my points above about booze, the first place I mention, is a bar. Oh the irony.  This isn’t any old bar though, it’s a 1920s speakeasy, with an amazing selection of cocktails, served in weird and wonderful ways.  You’ll need to reserve a table in peak times and it's one of the coolest bars in Prague. 

Chocolate Monkey Workshop

Fancy something a little different?  This 90 minute workshop in the heart of the Prague old town, costs around £30 per person. You learn a little about the history of chocolate and get to make some chocolate to take home with you.  A great activity for friends.

Carlos IV Spa 

Fan of a spa day? You’ll not be disappointed by a trip here.  Featuring a gorgeous, dimly lit, relaxation spa space, with sauna, steam room, pool and jacuzzi, it’s the ideal place to escape the city for a few hours, either when the weather is poor, or you want to rest those tired legs, after a day roaming the streets.

Eating Out

There’s too many places to mention from our trip, so here's some highlights. Prague does have something for all budgets. We’d advise avoiding the main square area and instead go check out some cool places in some of Prague’s neighbourhoods. Try and find where the locals go. 

We enjoyed lunch at Bakeshop (not actually far from the main square) but the pastries and baked goods were delicious.  It’s also really well priced for the quality.

For dinner, two standouts for us were Room – a tapas and mezze style bar attached to the Icon Hotel. So good, we went there twice during our 4 night stay.

Noi – a neighbourhood Thai restaurant, across the bridge, towards the castle.  Again, reasonably priced, with a  great selection of thai food. We ordered a selection of starters and mains to share.

Choco Loves Coffee is a cool, old school café we found near our Air BnB.  It does homemade cakes and gourmet hot chocolate that you can pick out your personalised combination.  Delicious.

* * * 

Top 10 Random Prague Tips

1. Get a 3 day pass for the public transport.  It’s incredibly cheap to get around Prague and we used a mix of trams and subways during our stay.  If the weather is good, it’s also a lovely walking city. 
2. Avoid taxis – we’d been told they can rip people off, so be careful.
3. Airporter – we used this great service to and from the airport, they even picked up our bags at a designated time from our Air BnB the morning we left and picked us up at a chosen location to go back to the airport. Cost was around £26 one way (split between 3 people). Great value.
4. Walk Charles Bridge and head to John Lennon Wall and Prague’s narrowest street, for some cool Instagram photos.
   
   
   
   
5. The Gingerbread Museum is not a museum, it’s a shop.  That said, the gingerbread from there is amazing, so stop by and pick up your gingerbread as souvenirs.
6. Don’t bother paying for the castle tour – it’s a lovely walk around for an hour or so, self guided.  We spent a morning there exploring the beautiful grounds.
   
7. Plan your journey well in advance if you’re walking. Google Maps is a little slow in the narrow/backstreets of the old town and more than once we found ourselves lost and doubling back on ourselves.  Just a suggestion. 
8. Make sure to try one of the delicious Trdelnik cakes – pastry, with cinnamon and sugar, filled with ice cream and toppings. You won’t be disappointed. You'll also be able to find many trdelnik shops across the city.  Price is around 4 euros for a whopping big cake. 
   
9. Buy a Lonely Planet Pocket Guide – we used this to plan out most of the places we went to.  The dining recommendations were superb!
10. Wenceslas Square was a bit of a let down.  Worth a look if you’re walking by it, but I’d say there’s much more impressive things to see in the city.

Recipe - Asian Wild Boar with Noodles

Readers!

This Glasgow Food Blogger has been off getting experimental this month... the team from Wild and Game recently sent me some wild boar steaks to try as part of their Spring recipe campaign and I've been cooking up a storm in my Glasgow kitchen trying out their Asian Style Wild Boar recipe.

This was super easy (time consuming but worth it, trust me) and we'd never had wild boar before. The long, slow cooking process creates a deliciously tender meat, rich in Asian flavours.  Fancy trying it for yourself?  Recipe and some cook-along photos below for you... to prove how easy this asian style wild boar recipe really is!

Also, did you know, game birds such as pheasant, partridge and grouse contain less fat than chicken, more protein and lower cholesterol, while wild boar is higher in protein and lower in saturated fat than beef? Facts!

“Game is in plentiful supply in the UK but many people still lack confidence when it comes to using it,” says Steven, who co-founded Wild and Game with Michael Cannon a year ago. 

“Our mission is to get more people in the UK enjoying game by highlighting how healthy, delicious and easy to use it actually is.”

Disclaimer - with the new advertising regulations, I'm confirming I received some wild boar steaks from Wild and Game to try out their recipe with.  Any opinions expressed are my own. 

Asian Style Wild Boar with Noodles
Serves 2

Ingredients

2 Wild and Game wild boar steaks, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 asparagus spears, sliced

Half a red pepper, sliced

1 small carrot, sliced

Half a medium onion, sliced

100ml light soy sauce

1 large tsp garlic paste

1 large tsp ginger paste

2 tbsp honey

2 tsp cornflour

Sesame oil

600ml water

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees centigrade, gas mark 3
2. Heat some sesame oil in an oven-proof pot, add the meat and cook until browned.
3. Mix the soy sauce, honey and cornflour in a small jug
4. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a couple of minutes, then pour in the soy, honey and cornflour mix. Stir and cook until thickened then top up with the water.
   
5. Keep on the heat until bubbling well, then put the lid on and transfer into the oven and cook for 2 - 2.5 hours. Check regularly and top up with water when necessary. You want the sauce to end up quite thick and sticky.
   
6. Heat some sesame oil in a wok or frying pan and fry the vegetables for a few minutes – don’t overdo it; you want them to retain their bite.
7. Add the vegetables to the pot of meat and stir well. Serve with noodles or rice.
   

Top 10 Copenhagen Hot Spots

Readers,

Sorry for the lack of content recently.  I’m not sure how to describe the last few months other than slightly overwhelming. Lots going on just now and I think I was burnt out by the time I got to the Christmas break, that yet again, the blog took a backseat until I felt inspired to write again.

You probably saw on Instagram that Mr What Claire Did and I travelled to Copenhagen for a short break over the Christmas period.  The short holiday to Copenhagen, included a trip to Malmo in Sweden for the day (only 40 minutes by train from the central station) so we managed to see 2 countries on our trip.

Copenhagen was lovely for a travel blogger to visit – it’s very Instagram friendly, however it’s SUPER expensive, so I’d suggest a few days in Copenhagen for a couple, is probably enough.  Take plenty of spending money with you – you’ll need it.

I’ve picked my Top 10 Copenhagen Highlights to feature in this blog.  If you decide on a trip to Copenhagen and follow any tips from my blog, please let me know!

Tivoli Gardens Copenhagen

A must see for any visitor – Tivoli Gardens was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s theme parks.  Old school rides, suitable for the whole family.  Don’t forget to go on the old rollercoaster in the centre of the park.

Note – Tivoli is closed throughout January. 

Tivoli Food Hall Copenhagen

A great find for a selection of cuisines from independent traders.  There’s food, drink and a great atmosphere throughout the day.  Open through the year – including New Years Day. We stopped off here for lunch before taking a train down to see The Little Mermaid and Palace area. 

1656 Cocktail Bar Copenhagen

Look out for the graffiti walls and the tiny windows and you’re there.  Near the Meatpacking District (more about that below) this small cocktail bar has a wide selection of cocktails for all palates.  Take note – it’s around 15 to 20 euros a drink, so one before dinner will probably suffice.

Dining in the Meatpacking District Copenhagen

Keep on walking from 1656 and you’ll hit the Meatpacking District – a series of slightly grungy looking industrial units, transformed into some amazing dining experiences.  I’d highly recommend a trip here. I wish we’d found Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District sooner into our trip as the best restaurants were here.  Special mention to Gorilla and Fleisch where we had two amazing dinners (price approx £60 a head, including 1 alcoholic drink).

Day trip to Malmo from Copenhagen

In case you didn’t know, Copenhagen is so near the Swedish border, that a 40 minute train ride, across the big bridge will take you to another country.

It’s lovely to walk around in if the weather is good (not the biggest city I’ve ever been to) but Malmo does have a castle, with a lot of history.  We really enjoyed the exhibition about the second world war.   There’s some cool shops, a lovely coffee culture and stylish people all around.  We passed around 4 hours in the city midweek.

Trains leave regularly from Copenhagen Central Station and it’s around £24 for a return ticket.

Illums Bolighis Department Store Copenhagen

If you’re interested in interiors and scandi design, this isn’t to be missed.  There are two stores in Copenhagen – I’d recommend just visiting the homewares store, if you’re interested in design.  Top tip – if you’re there just after Christmas (or before) they have an amazing range of Christmas décor available and the post Christmas sale, made some items affordable to us mere mortals.

Harbour District Copenhagen

Probably some of the most instagrammable buildings – the coloured houses down by the harbour are beautiful to look at and worth a wander on a dry day.  There are a number of restaurants in the local area, but I’d be tempted to suggest you walk back a few streets, away from the tourist hub for your Copenhagen lunch.

Axel Guldsmeden Hotel Copenhagen

This place was amazing! We couldn’t fault it. Cool bar, nice drinks, great décor and outdoor seating area, Balinese inspired rooms and spa… what’s not to love?  By Copenhagen standards, it was affordable - £450 for 4 nights and it’s also right behind the main train station, which was great for getting around the city.

Brunch at Aamanns Deli Copenhagen

If you happen to watch Travel Man on Channel 4, then you’ll have seen them film in this upscale brunch/lunch stop in Copenhagen. The smorrebrod is out of this world – some of the most beautiful sandwiches you’ll ever taste are served here. They also look beautiful too.  Definitely make a reservation – doors open at 11am.  We arrived at 11am and other tables followed soon after. It’s not a cheap lunch… think close to £65 for two, however, it’s famous in the city and a foodies dream.

It's also Michelin Guide recommended. 

Pastries from The Local  Bakery Copenhagen

And at the opposite end of the scale, we found this slightly tired looking local bakery near the train station.  Looks can be deceiving though – the pastries were fresh and delicious. We stopped into this local Copenhagen bakery more than once on our trip for a snack to go in the morning.

24 Hours at Niagara

Readers, hopefully you’ve been keeping up to date with all my amazing adventures recently.  I’ve just done a 48 hours in Iceland post… and my top 10 Toronto eats has recently gone on the blog too… make sure you have a read!

Tonight’s post, is all about how you can spend 24 hours at the amazing, beautiful and lovely surrounding area of Niagara.   We did it… we hired a car, drove from Toronto on a gorgeous and sunny fall morning, in our Dodge Charger which took about an hour and a half… and thanks to a great connection, had a really good value room, on a high floor at the Hilton Niagara, where we had some good night time views.

Amazing fall colours at Niagara

Niagara was an experience and if you’re driving, there’s loads of ways to fill a day and night in the area.

Day 1 – AM to Mid Afternoon

Pick up your hire car and drive to your destination… there are LOTS of tours that leave from Toronto, however, we wanted some freedom to do our own thing.  We arrived, parked up and immediately went to see The Falls.

The weather was gorgeous, so we took a walk along, then the short hop funicular (it’s about 30 seconds) down to the visitors centre, where we booked ourselves onto The Journey Behind The Falls… fairly interesting, took around 30 minutes and allowed you to get up close for some great views.  We then continued our walk alongside (Canadian side) down to Maid of The Mist, and took the boat ride… be warned, if you’re up front, you will get wet. Ponchos are required… not optional!

We then headed back into the town and thanks to the lovely team at Clifton Hill, who provided us with 2 Fun Passes which covered 6 of the attractions in the local area. We were able to amuse ourselves at The Canadian Midway for an hour or so – we went on the Ghost Blaster Ride, the 4DX Wild West Coaster which was great fun and played some arcade games (turns out I’m great at Bean Bag Toss) and air hockey. 

Passes cost $30 and covers 6 different attractions – great on a rainy day, or if you’ve got kids (or overgrown kids) to entertain.  

We were slightly perplexed by the whole Niagara Falls area… you’ve got this stunning natural attraction on one side, then a Blackpool meets Vegas meets Atlantic City type thing going on just up the road.  In some parts it’s a bit dated, plus, we went in the off season, so the area was quiet. It was all a bit bizarre.. but never the less, the Fun Passes were great to amuse us.. and actually, we made the best of being there, having fun like 2 big kids. 

Day 1 – PM

After a quick late lunch stop at Tim Hortons, we headed back to our hotel, with a massive in room jacuzzi and you guessed it, I watched the sun set from the comfort of my bath, with a large wine… we then took ourselves on a walk to the shops at Fallsview Casino and then went searching for somewhere for dinner… which turned out to be a bit of a struggle, if you don’t want to eat in a hotel or in a cheap, greasy chain.  A lot of places were shut when we were there (Tuesday night in October) so perhaps something to plan ahead, otherwise you’ll end up in the Hard Rock Café, like we did.  Not the worst, but not the best meal I’ve ever eaten. 

After dinner, we still had some activities left to do on our Clifton Hill Passes… first up (and honestly this was the most fun) we played Wizard's Golf… mini golf, in the dark, where everything is lit up in UV.  As usual, Mr What Claire Did managed to beat me, but we had a lot of fun.  It was well done and different to the other mini golf we’ve played in the past. It also got us out of the cold for around an hour!

Next up, we went on the Zombie Attack 4D ride, before heading back to the arcade to claim our prizes from our ticket wins and take a trip on the Big Wheel which gave us great views over the Niagara area at night. 

Uber is active in the area, so you’ll get a cab back to your hotel fairly cheaply and easily.

Day 2 – AM

Our hotel didn’t include breakfast, so we were up fairly early and off on our adventures.  Sadly the weather had turned, so we didn’t manage much outdoor exploring en route to Niagara on the Lake… we did however enjoy the views out the car window of some of the huge houses nearby.  Keep change handy, as it’s metered parking in the town of Niagara on the Lake, which is really quaint with lots of shops and cafes.  Sadly, the rain was so heavy, we didn’t spend much time there, but we got the feeling it would be lovely in summer. 

We did manage to find a lovely looking local place called Sunset Grill for breakfast. The staff here were so lovely and we got a table in the window.. where we watched the rain bounce off the pavements!

Image Source - YELP.CA

Day 2 – PM

From our very damp visit to the local town, we were soon back in the car and headed to the Outlets at Niagara… this is well worth a trip, if you are into your brands and shopping. There were so many great stores and at the moment, the exchange rate between the UK and Canada, is decent, we got some great bargains… much better than the US had been for shopping earlier in the year.  I left with some sports gear from Nike, a bag and credit card holder from Kate Spade and a Ralph Lauren jacket… as well as some goodies from Bath and Body Works… a store we don’t have here, but I love!

Image Credit: Outlet Collection at Niagara

Allow yourself around 3 hours to have a good look around the Outlets and if you’re looking for something a bit different, stop by The Bass Pro Shop before you drive back… if you’ve never been in one before, I can only describe it as something very different. 

Before we knew it, it was 4pm and time to drive back to Toronto to return our rental car. The drive back also had a great moment, on approach to the city, where the whole skyline appeared in front of us. It looked absolutely beautiful and furthered my love for this cool city.

Have you been to Niagara or Niagara-on-the-Lake? If so, what did you love? 

Disclaimer: I received 2 fun passes complimentary from Clifton Hill to use during our time at Niagara.  Any opinions expressed are my own.