Iāve had an influx of new followers lately so first and foremost ā welcome to you all! It has been a little while since my last post as other things have taken priority but I hope youāre all doing well.
If youāve been following along for a while youāll recall that I posted about the early planning process for my summer plans. To recap; Iām attending a wedding on the 5th of August in Washington State and then turn 30 on the 7th of August. Two reasons to celebrate gave me two reasons to make this a summer to remember ā I wanted to make this a big trip and therefore Iāll be spending 30 days in the USA! Thirty bloody days! Crazy!
My previous post was speaking about what my early thoughts of planning such a big trip would be, so if youāre planning something similar you can give that a read here:Ā The big 3-0!
However Iām now closer to having a finalised itinerary and I wanted to provide you with an update on what the plan is looking like.
My dates have been relatively set for some time. The date of the wedding has changed a couple of times but all have overlapped with my original plan to fly to the US on July 28th and get home on August 27th (flying home overnight on the 26th).
These dates meant I could attend the wedding, celebrate my birthday and also make the most of August 27th being a public holiday in the UK ā i.e one less day of annual leave used. It meant I could get 30 days in the US with only 20 days taken off work which was pretty ideal!
So with the dates confirmed all I had to do was decide where Iād be spending them and who, if anyone, would accompany me. Easy right?
This plan has changed several times over for several reasons. Iāve considered visiting pretty much everywhere across the States and looked in to visiting parts of Canada too but nothing has been particularly set in stone. My only definitive plans were to visit Washington for the wedding and make my first visits to Portland and San Francisco. Iāve been pretty flexible beyond that. So here goes!
USA bound!
Chicago: July 28th ā July 30th
Iām starting the trip off solo in Chicago. This was somewhere Iād thought about visiting but then as the plan developed disappeared from my itinerary.
However flight prices were decent and Chicago OāHareās airport was a decent base to get around the country for some of the other places I was considering.
I was debating whether to spend two or three days here dependent on where Iād be going next. It now looks like it’ll be two days.
Minneapolis: July 30th ā August 1st
For a 30 day trip, perhaps surprisingly stop number 2 was one of the last pieces of my āājigsawā. Iāll be honest and say this wasnāt somewhere Iād given too much consideration in visiting. I knew I wanted to go to destination number 3 on August 1st but was having trouble deciding where to go between Chicago and stop number 3.
Iād considered Minneapolis but it wasnāt towards the top of my list and wasnāt a ābucketlistā city for me to visit. However this week my beloved Tottenham Hotspur announced theyād be returning to the US and playing in Minneapolis on July 31st.
I’d booked my flights to Chicago well before the announcement because I had no intention of planning my trip around Spurs. With that said I had kept this particular date open and it’s just happened to work out that I’m already in a neighbouring state. It’s not a long journey from Chicago so was a pretty logical second stop.
Potentially country number 8 watching Tottenham!
New Orleans: August 1st ā August 4th
Having friends in the US always gives me something extra to think about when planning a US trip. For this particular trip I was keen to try and visit two of my penpals, Crystal (Florida) and Sam (Alabama). I was fortunate to meet the latter in Nashville last year but weād yet to successfully meet up with all three of us!
Given their locations the easiest meeting point would be somewhere Southern and somehow we got on to the possibility of New Orleans. I still want to visit both in Alabama and Florida but I was sold on the idea of NOLA pretty instantly. I’m hoping I’ll get a nicer welcome in the South than I did in Georgia or Texas (you’ll have to wait for those stories).
This has been on my list pretty early on and the only thing left to decide was how long I wanted to stay here. I’ve opted for 3-ish days.
Me, Haleigh, Cassie & Maddie!
Seattle: August 4th ā August 6th
As mentioned abovve, the wedding is on the 5th so this was a no brainer. Itāll be my third time in Washington though so Iām happy flying in to Seattle on the 4th and leaving just after. Iāll definitely be back to Washington in the future anyway.
I’ll be watching Cassie and Maddie get married and meeting up with Haleigh too! From this point onwards I’ll have Haleigh joining me for the adventure!
Portland: August 6th ā August 9th
As soon as I knew I was traveling to the West coast for a wedding I knew I had to find some time to visit Portland. It looks like a great city and I have a few friends locally that Iām hoping Iāll catch up with. Iām a little gutted because my time here doesn’t overlap with a Timbers game but itās still somewhere Iām so excited to visit. It’ll be a cool place to celebrate my birthday too!
Moses Lake: August 9th ā August 10th
Me and Haleigh are driving down to Portland after the wedding and then weāll be driving back to Washington together before the weekend hits. I donāt know if weāre specifically going to Moses Lake but I figure weāll probably have a day at āhomeā to relax before the adventure continues!
Moses Lake, you’re so pretty!
Walla Walla: August 10th ā August 13th
A return to beautiful Walla Walla. I visited here in February and it was somewhere I grew quite fond of ā the mountain views certainly helped! Haleighās family are hosting their big annual BBQ on the 11th which means weāll end up spending the weekend here before getting back to the adventuring.
Oregon Coast: August 13th ā August 15th
Back to Oregon! San Francisco bound, we (Haleigh) will be driving down the coast and visiting places such as Lincoln City, Newport and wherever else along the way. It looks pretty and gives us a chance to see more of the state and a chance for Haleigh to revisit some places she hasnāt been to for a while.
Redwood National Park: August 15th ā August 16th
Itās still a long drive to San Francisco from Oregon so I was conscious of stopping somewhere and this seemed like a suitable choice on route. Whilst Iād love to see some of the bigger parks in the US I still think this will be pretty cool.
San Francisco: August 16th ā August 20th
This has been high up on my list of places to visit for a long time. Iām so excited to finally be making my first visit to San Fran this year. We have four nights here which should give us plenty of time to see a lot of what the city has to offer. After the wedding this was probably the part of the trip I was most excited about. Seeing that Golden Gate bridge in particular will definitely be a “pinch me” moment.
Bend: August 20th to August 22nd
A visit to Bend (Oregon) breaks up the return drive from California to Washington and gives us an opportunity to visit a friend too which we were both keen to try and squeeze in to the trip. I donāt know if weāll spend one or two days in Bend but itāll be nice to make a stop here.
Moses Lake: August 22nd to August 25th
Iām anticipating Haleigh might be back to work on the 23rd so weāre aiming to get back āhomeā the day before. After three and a half weeks of traveling itāll be nice to relax for a day or two. If Haleigh doesn’t have to work we might end up going elsewhere but we’ll see.
Spokane, Washington
Spokane: August 25th to August 26th
A necessary stop to start making my way home. I went to Spokane last September and it was a nice overnight stop, I’d be fine with a brief second visit. Spokaneās airport is small but meant I could directly reach my next and final stop.
Chicago: August 26th
Departure day. I looked at various flight options but in the end decided Iād fly to and from the same place, so back to Chicago I go! At the minute I’m suggesting I’ll arrive and fly home on the same day but this might change, we’ll see.
Anyway, there you have it!Ā Six states, several cities, one wedding and one 30th birthday spread across 30 days!
This isnāt the absolute final itinerary and there are probably still going to be some slight amendments but for the most-part this is a good glimpse at where Iāll be heading this summer, which is now exactly 100 days away!
If you have any recommendations for any of the above please give me a heads up. With the exception of Washington State, these are all new states that Iām visiting so any tips are much appreciated!
As some of you will know, come the summer I will be spending 4 weeks in the USA to celebrate a wedding (not mine) and also my 30th birthday. You can read about the early planning thoughts here:Ā The big 3-0!
I travel a lot but that isnāt everyday life for me. I applaud those that have built themselves a life to work whilst traveling around the world but personally Iām working a regular 9-5 (5:30) Monday-Friday office job.
A four week holiday, unfortunately, has consequences for the rest of the year.
I managed to squeeze in a trip in February but thatās used up the little remaining annual leave I had for 2018. Sadly now Iām back home, the wanderlust is kicking in and thereās not much I can do about it. I am craving a trip somewhere and I still have FOUR MONTHS until my summer adventure begins (128 days to be precise, not that Iām counting right?).
February trip to Washington State!
I canāt remember the last time I had to go so long between trips! People around the world live in warzones, poverty, abusive situations, inequality and Iām not really sure where my āwoesā sit on the scale of important world problems.
Bizarrely Iām finding little sympathy with my life āstruggleā. My peers have been of no use and apparently there isnāt a suitable helpline for those struggling from the dreaded disease (wanderlust), so I decided Iād put together my own little list of remedies to ease the pain.
I have to warn you, these are only temporary measures! Iām no miracle worker. There is still no known cure for wanderlust but hopefully these will tie you over until you get your next āfixā.
So here are my top tips for managing wanderlust and what Iāll personally be doing over the next four months:
Make time for family and friends!Ā
āYouāre never hereā, āYouāre always on holidayā, or āwhereās next?ā are a selection of commonly used phrases amongst my loved ones. I feel like thereās a subtle point theyāre trying to make somewhere in there but in 2017 the catchphrases particularly had some conviction to them.
2017 was my most travelled year to date and I hold no regrets in that, it was a wonderful year. However it did also feel like a year where I saw a lot less of my favourite people.
Whilst technology makes it easier than ever to stay connected from anywhere in the world, itās certainly nice to actually catch up and spend time together in person. There have already been a few occasions in 2018 where Iāve got to see a number of family and friends which has served as a good reminder to make more effort when I am in the country.
I’m hopeful 2018 has many more opportunities to see the important people and Iām pleased there are a few events coming up in the weeks ahead to maintain this. Starting this weekend with a little āadventureā to Kettering!
Make some penpals!
This is one suggestion Iād recommend for everyone, regardless of how frequently you travel! Not everyone can dedicate their time and money to traveling as other things in life take priority. So whilst youāre unable to travel why not send just a little piece of you around the world instead through the joy of having a penpal.
Iāve been doing this for a few years in my spare time and I think itās a great way to have a little taste of foreign culture, learn more about the rest of the world and make some good friends along the way.
Whether you go for the traditional āsnail mailā route or prefer to stick to chatting online, itās always a nice feeling to have some new mail (whether physical or electronic) waiting for you.
The age of technology makes it easier than ever to make contact with people from all over the world and from the comfort of your own home too!
My collection is much bigger since this photo!Ā
Read a book!
Of course it doesnāt all have to be about technology. People were going on adventures long before the days of the internet. Forget all that nonsense with border control, books can take you to an infinite number of destinations and you donāt need a passport to do it either!
Once youāre stuck into a good book nothing is stopping you from visiting places such as Narnia, the Middle Earth, Hogwarts or Space which are beyond the reach of your typical traveler. A little imagination can take you anywhere!
If youāre not much of a reader: TV shows, movies and video games can also take you on quite the journey.
Be right back, I’m off to Hogwarts!
Learn a new skill!
One of the best things about traveling is experiencing something new, so why not do the same at home? Learning a new skill can be a great help in life and potentially on your travels too. I started learning German a while ago and it has made visiting Germany since then much more enjoyable.
Of course it doesnāt have to be a language. You could improve your cooking skills, learn to sew or learn an instrument for example but with a bit of free time between trips thereās so many skills you could learn that come in handy both in life in general and potentially on future adventures too!
Deutsch? Kein problem!
Go local!
and if all of the above fail, why not go local? Traveling doesnāt always mean you have to go to the other side of the world to have a little adventure. Sometimes itās easy for us to overlook the places closer to home which still have their own highlights and quirks of their own.
Visit a local town or city and see how it differs to home. Better yet, see whatās happening where you live. Attend that festival this weekend, go see a show, visit your local museum or just treat yourself to dinner at that new restaurant that just opened.
Itās a little dependent on where you live but you donāt necessarily have to jump on a plane to experience something new or make some lasting memories. As much as that urge to travel consumes me, maybe I should embrace some of the better things about England.
England’s not all bad, right?
With four months until I go to the US Iāll be focusing on some of these options to limit my travel envy. What are some of your own methods for coping with wanderlust? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
Germany as Iām sure you know by now happens to be one of my favourite places to visit, I first visited the country in 2013 and have been at least once every year since with my most recent trip (November) concluding my 8th visit! Germany has provided me with some wonderful memories and Iāve grown to love the diversity, people and culture of the country ā Iāve even made an effort to learn German! VerrĆ¼ckt! (Crazy!).
So seeing a friend on Facebook suggest that she would never visit Germany was a little disheartening. Whilst Iāve generally made my destination posts chronological anyway, I thought Iād use this as an opportunity to follow on from Barmouth with my next trip and set the record straight given some of the misconceptions about Germany last week following an incident at Munichās airport.
Iām not going to get in to my thoughts on the incident itself but Mo Farah claimed to have been on the end of racial harrassment in Munich, an accusation quickly denied by the accused. Online and media reaction to the headline went in two ways with some aiming criticism at Farah and others being critical of the accused security guard and then the defence of said security guard
.
Criticism is one thing but I read MANY comments making a sweeping generalisation of Germany as a whole because of this incident and I can not accept that. Youāll find ignorant and hateful people EVERYWHERE and one incident is not reflective of an entire nation with 80+ million citizens. Just like anywhere, Germany is a friendly and welcoming place and dismissing it as a potential travel destination would be a waste for a country that has so much to offer!
So letās travel back to August 2014 and my trip to the German capital: Berlin! Myself and a friend had talked about going on a weekend break somewhere and as soon as Berlin was mentioned we were both in agreement that we should go! It had always been a āmust visitā destination for me, Berlin was so steeped in history that it had always appealed to me. I couldnāt wait to go!
Yet wait and wait I did. Solo travel and group travel both have their pros and cons, a pro to solo travel is that youāre in complete control of everything. With 4 of us making plans for Berlin I was growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress in booking the trip. I couldnāt get properly excited until plans were finalised and it felt like there were a few setbacks, Iām sure there was equal frustration on their part as the planning process went on but eventually we had dates booked into the calendar!
Myself and Karl flew out to Germany on Friday morning, Andy and Rox had already flown into Germany a day or two earlier to get a little longer out of their break. Budget airlines hold a bit of a catch 22 situation ā on the one hand it means pretty much everyone can travel, on the other hand it means pretty much everyone can travel.
Particularly when flying out of Stansted, flying on a Friday or Saturday and flying to a popular destination, you can not avoid the stag / hen (bachelor / bachelorette) groups.
Our flight to Berlin consisted of at least two stag doās and I think one hen do on board too. Karl somehow bagged the window seat which left me sat next to a young lad who, at 6am or whatever it was, was already far too drunk to string a coherent sentence together.
There has been a lot of controversy regarding alcohol limits in airports and on flights recently and Iād apportion 99% of the blame at our drunken little island if Iām being honest. Our friends in the rest of Europe seem a little better at knowing their limitations than the Brits who disgrace themselves in the continent on cheap weekend breaks. This guy was a perfect example and you question firstly if he should have been allowed to fly and secondly why they let him buy a further beer on board. I think he was keen I joined in for a breakfast beer but I politely declined.
In fairness to him he wasnāt any trouble but it made my journey a little less peaceful than I would have liked. Nevertheless the two of us were soon arriving in to Berlin and making an effort to figure out how to get to our hostel, at the time I knew no German so both of us were solely dependent on English getting us by for the weekend.
It wasnāt too tricky and eventually we were arriving into Berlinās “Cat’s Pajamas” hostel ā I liked it and would probably stay there again.
We met up with Andy and Rox and made plans to go and see some of Berlin, we started off with a quick lunchtime stop and then aimed for central Berlin.
Iām a big fan of kicking off day one with a walking tour, however when Andy suggested we do a biking tour I was a little more sceptical. They say you never forget how to ride a bike, perhaps that is true but it didnāt make me feel any more confident about riding around the city and through the streets of Berlin on a bicycle. When was the last time Iād even rode a bike? I was coming up to my 26th birthday and the last time would certainly have been as a kid, so well over 10 years.
I donāt think Karl and Rox were 100% sold on the idea either so credit to Andyās persuasion skills. Heād not just convinced one sceptic person it was a good idea but three, 3! Even after agreeing to it I was a little nervous about it. No sooner had I climbed on my bike had I fallen off it, and again, and again. The tour was something like 3 hours long and I couldnāt stay upright for more than 2 minutes ā disastrous and we hadnāt even started hitting the streets yet! Can I get some stabilisers please?
Pros!
My fortunes did change (without the need for stabilisers before you ask!), soon enough Iād remembered how to balance myself and stop properly. I was whizzing through the streets and ready to embark on the Tour de France (alright, maybe not). Nevertheless I had been won over. We ticked off a number of the sights spread out across the city and I started to appreciate how much there was to see in the city. From viewing the stunning architecture to learning about the history from our tour guide, Berlin was living up to my high expectation.
A bike tour was a perfect way to see it and allowed us to cover so much more distance than if weād been on foot. I think the highlight was riding through the Tiergarten (Berlinās answer to Central Park) and seeing how peaceful it was. The Tiergarten was also home to a couple of pubs, one of which we stopped at for a scheduled break in the tour! A beer later and we were back on our bikes to see a little more of Berlin before rounding up the tour. It wasnāt something Iād ever have considered doing if Iād traveled alone but Iām really pleased we ended up doing it.
Friday evening we went and grabbed food somewhere and then enjoyed a few drinks to finish off the night. A successful start to our trip in Berlin!
Four years later, Saturday and Sunday are a bit more of a blur. I remember what we did but I canāt particularly associate the things we did with a particular day.
The Reichstag building
Over the next two days we took a little more time to see some of the sights weād only briefly visited on Friday such as the famous Brandenburg Tor, Checkpoint Charlie and the Reichstag building. The latter you can enter for free to then see views over Berlin from up on the roof ā despite being free you do have to book a time slot in advance so keep that in mind before visiting. We got a little caught up elsewhere and ended up having a crazy rush to get there in time, I think we were a little late but they fortunately werenāt too strict on enforcing an exact time. Iād still recommend getting there before your time slot though! Haha.
We checked out a few museums. The Topography of Terror and DDR museums ended up being the best of the ones we visited. The Topography of Terror my favourite of the two and as most of it is based outside, itās free to enjoy! You also have to make sure to check out the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe – it’s a must see!
However in contrast the Checkpoint Charlie museum I personally found a bit of a mess and didnāt enjoy. The museum had no structure to it, parts of it were interesting but it wasnāt well laid out and some of the rooms had exhibitions with no real relevance to the museum. It was bizarre and I didnāt really feel like it justified the admission price.
One of the other enjoyable things we did in Berlin was visit the huge Flohmarkt (flea market) on the Sunday which was interesting to look around. Iām not much of a shopper but it was interesting to see the variety of things sold and people watch as tourists and locals both looked to enjoy themselves! It was also a good spot to pick up some cheap lunch.
Beyond the daytime antics, one of the things I loved most about Berlin was that it felt completely different in the evening. Itās a fascinating city by day and has plenty to offer for tourists but come the evening it felt like a much livelier place. It helped that we were there in the summer. The better weather made it easy to enjoy eating out and drink at one of the numerous beer gardens that occupy the city, there was a buzz about Berlin every evening we were there and it made it a fun place to go out and enjoy Berlinās nightlife.
With great company, great beer and great weather I could have spent many more nights soaking up the atmosphere of Berlin. Kƶln (2013) had given me a little taste of German culture but I truly felt at home in Berlin. Thereās something I love about big cities and I found that Berlin matched some of the best and ranks as one of my favourite European cities.
I feel like I only covered a fraction of what Berlin had to offer so itās a city I definitely want to return to and I highly recommend you visit too! Whilst itās unfortunate that racism, discrimination and inequality continue to exist within society please donāt let it put you off visiting Germany.
Berlin in particular is incredibly welcoming and a multi-cultural city home to foreigners from all over the world, youād be missing out to overlook a country as diverse as Deutschland!
Me at the Brandenburger Tor
Deutschland; Ich liebe dich! Bis bald!
Have you ever been to Berlin? What did you think? Where else in Germany should I add to my growing list in this wonderful country? Let me know in the comments!
Before getting on to Barmouth I wanted to start by saying thank you ā to each and every one of you! I spoke a while ago about suffering a mini-blogging slump at the back end of 2017. Iāve got back on track in 2018 but it was helpful taking a little step back from blogging and realising that, more than anything, I wanted to enjoy this opposed to doing it for anyone else.
I want to share my stories, I want people to enjoy what theyāre reading and I want to inspire more people to travel. However more than anything I want to enjoy what Iām writing about and I realised I wanted to keep a personal touch to this. I promised to do so going forward.
So the response to my last post, Travel helping my struggle with anxiety!, was overwhelming. I was blown away by the feedback to it and it reaffirmed that keeping this personal was the right thing for me. It was my most personal post to date and yet my most popular post too. Encouraging!
Anyway, moving on! Today Iām reverting back to a ādestination postā and that takes me on to a little town in Wales called Barmouth! This was going to be my next post regardless but by coincidence St Davidās Day occurred this week, so to any Welsh readers I hope you enjoyed yourselves! A belated happy St Davidās Day!
Prior to Barmouth my last trip had been to Lisbon, you can read all about that here (3 wonderful nights in Lisbon) but I mentioned that Iād planned to leave Lisbon on the Saturday to spend the weekend with my, at the time, girlfriend only to find myself single a couple of weeks later. A tad frustrating as a couple of extra days in Lisbon would have been fantastic!
Before that breakup came a romantic getaway to Wales! I finished work on the first Friday in April (2014) and hopped on a train up to Birmingham to spend the evening together. On Saturday morning we left Birmingham’s New Street station and caught an early train to Barmouth!
I had never heard of it before but a couple of her friends had recommended it so we decided itād be fun to take a trip.
Barmouth is this cute little coastal town in Wales. Iāve never really spent much time in Wales so itās not a country Iād seen much of until now ā I was impressed! The beauty in catching a train is you can really admire the view as you travel. I said in my post on Edinburgh that England gets a lot of the attention when people talk about the United Kingdom and Iāll repeat it here, there is so much more to the UK than just England. More people should be talking about how beautiful Wales is! I was in disbelief at the stunning scenery. Why does Wales not get more credit for being so pretty?
Perhaps people donāt talk enough about Walesā beauty but one thing they do talk about is the number of sheep in Wales. I try not to submit to the stereotypes and figured its association was exaggerated. It isnāt! Wales is full of sheep ā theyāre everywhere! Sheep outweigh the human population roughly on a 3:1 ratio which tells you all you need to know really. The fabled ācounting sheepā method to help you sleep makes Wales a perfect destination for you insomniacs out there!
Ignoring the sheep it is such a pretty country. The closer we got to Barmouth the more beautiful the scenery became, it was breathtaking to look at. Barmouth isnāt too far from the Snowdonia national park and it is definitely a part of the country I want to explore more of. Preferably in the summer and with better weather.
Miserable weather but a pretty Barmouth
Soon enough we were arriving in to Barmouthās train station. As youād expect from a small town, the station is quite small but the location is right in the heart of the town and close to the beach making it an ideal day-trip. We arrived around lunchtime and headed straight for the beach. Unsurprisingly it was pretty empty, the problem with going anywhere in the UK in April is that the weather is still pretty miserable. We did have a wander along the beach but with grey skies looming over us we made our way to check in to our hotel.
The one downside to staying in such a small town is that hotel options were rather limited. It was a nice hotel but not the cheapest stay and apparently Iād committed the crime of the century in booking a hotel situated on a hill. A little up-hill walk saw us checking into our stay for the night in what was a cosy room with a decent sized bath too (FYI ā I love my baths!). The room views are probably usually decent but ours wasnāt a sea-facing view and to be honest it was so miserable outside that there probably wasnāt much worth looking at anyway. I imagine the views are great on a warmer day though.
Having had a little time to relax and drop off our things, back in to the cold we went. Barmouth is your typical coastal town but perhaps with better scenery. We took a little stroll across this bridge and started picking out the houses and pretty buildings overlooking the water ā some of them looked perfect!
Sadly the sky was even greyer at this point and now there was a little light rain, we popped in to the arcades which gave me my first experience with the famed 2p machines ā a great way to pass the time and a favourite of any British coastal town!
Content that our 2p coins had vanished we did a little window-shopping and then went in search of dinner. Shortly after eating we called it a night, relaxing back at the hotel and watching whatever rubbish was on TV (it might have been Match Of The Day actually ā such a romantic getaway!). A good nightās sleep followed and we woke up refreshed ready to see a little more of Barmouth before heading back to England.
After breakfast we had one last stroll along the beach ā it may have been another cold day in April but we had to pick up an obligatory ice cream! You have to when youāre at the beach, right?
As we walked along the promenade every passer-by seemed to do so with a smile, many of which were walking their dogs, and it felt like a really welcoming little town. Iād like to think itās the same in the summer months when there is better weather and more tourists in town.
If youāre in that part of the UK Iād suggest it is worth a daytrip, however I donāt know if Iād personally go back given how far it is from where I live.
For us, it was a short and sweet visit but nevertheless itās somewhere that left an impression on me and somewhere that Iām glad I visited.
Barmouth ā I might not ever see you again but thanks for the fond memories you left me with!
Have you ever been to Barmouth? What did you think? Are you a fan of visiting places outside of peak season?
Let me know!
Rather than focus on a specific destination I thought I would switch the topic by looking at something a little more personal and perhaps more relatable for those who donāt travel as frequently as I do.
I initially planned to post this on āWorld Mental Health Dayā and the recent āTime To Talk Dayā was another opportunity to do so but whilst I recognise the good work campaigns like these do, you almost fall in to a trap which defeats the intention of said campaigns.
The message these campaigns want to get across is that itās important to talk about mental health/illness ā I completely agree. However in practice you find people raise the issue on World Mental Health Day for example and then it doesnāt get mentioned again until next yearās World Mental Health Day, where itās then mentioned again how important it is to talk about it.
Donāt get me wrong, I do applaud these campaigns for starting the conversation but itās easy to fall in to that trap. If mental health is something we want to see understood better within society then it needs to become more of an every-day conversation opposed to a once-a-year raise awareness day. So I scrapped my initial intention and figured posting this on a personal āanniversaryā for me was more appropriate.
I consider myself to have been fortunate with my mental health on the whole. Iām generally a positive person which helps the overall state of my mental health. Depression has always alluded me and whilst everyone has their bad days or difficult times it has never been more than that for me. Itās very different from those struggling and fighting depression on a daily basis.
My āachilles heelā however has always been anxiety.
Iāve never talked too much about my anxiety and thereās two reasons for that; first and foremost Iām a fairly independent person. My anxiety isnāt some big secret and some people are aware of it but it’s not something I drop into conversation too often. Iāve never been particularly good at talking about myself or sharing all of the aspects of my life.
I fully advocate talking about mental illness. I think it’s important to talk to someone if you’re struggling but that doesnāt necessarily mean you have to talk about it to everyone. The latter has been more my approach I suppose. I know there are people I can talk to as and when I need to but Iāve personally preferred dealing with mine on a smaller scale rather than making a big thing of it.
So similarly if youāre struggling then please just find someone to talk to, it doesnāt have to be a public SOS for everyone to see. Just one person can make a difference and I promise you there is someone that cares and is willing to listen if you need someone to talk to. If youāre doubtful that person exists please message me any time. Iām not much of a talker but listening Iām pretty good at!
The second reason Iāve never talked about my anxiety too much in the past is because for a long time I didnāt really understand it. I think by the time I realised it was anxiety that Iād suffered from the worst of it had gone. I still suffer from, what I consider to be, mild anxiety. Part of that overlaps in being an introvert, I donāt think Iāll ever be fully rid of anxiety because traits of my personality just make it impossible to avoid. Fortunately on a day-by-day basis Iāve found a way of managing the occasions where my anxiety is eating away at my brain.
However that wasnāt always the case. At the peak of my anxiety I was really struggling with it, both mentally and physically ā possibly more the latter. The mental side of the illness was easier to hide, the physical aspect I couldnāt escape from.
I’d love to be able to pinpoint an exact point in time where it switched because it certainly wasn’t with me through my childhood.
Life as a kid was easy-going!
I first remember it being an issue shortly after starting my first job when I’d start spending time with friends outside of work. I loved the people and it was great to be able to spend time together away from work but on one occasion I started to feel a little unwell, next thing I knew I was throwing up.
Did I eat something funny? Maybe I just needed a little fresh air? My friends were a little concerned but reassuring and helped make me feel comfortable.. Shortly after the feeling had passed and I got back to enjoying the company and the occasion. I couldnāt really explain why I’d been sick but you know, sometimes people just get sick. It was certainly uncomfortable for me but Iād just put it down as a one time thing.
Until the next time ā now a pattern has emerged. āSick again! Wonderful! I felt fine 20 minutes ago, where has this come from?ā
With the benefit of hindsight I can see it was anxiety but at the time I had no idea why this was happening. I didnāt really know anything about anxiety and that this was causing me to be sick, perhaps if Iād been more aware of it I could have managed it better but all I knew was āSickboyā had returned (the āsuperheroā name needs a little work) and wanted to spoil my day.
The pattern quickly became a habit and thatās when the mental illness really kicked in. Iād gone from thinking of it as a one time thing to pleading that it didnāt happen again ā the fact it was already playing on my mind didnāt help. The mental side of the anxiety had me reminiscing of being sick on previous catch-ups and all I could think about was what I could do to stop it. All I could think about was not being sick again and I think having it play on my mind so much meant there was only ever going to be one outcome = āBLEURGH!ā.
It was now a worry. Hope turned in to acceptance for future social situations. Wishing it away wasnāt working so letās plan around it ā āalright body, Iām meeting friends at 1 so if we could get the throwing up done by midday thatād be grandā.
Body: āI mean, that sounds reasonable but do you know what would be more fun..?ā āBleurghā.
I had no control over it and the more it happened the more it played on my mind. It had affected me socially and then started creeping in to other aspects of my life.
I remember going back to college, day one resulted in making numerous stops in what should have been a short walk to the college grounds from the city centre but another “first day” meeting new people was overwhelming.
Similarly Iād go to job interviews and my brain was over-thinking like crazy. Being nervous for a job interview is pretty common, I was certainly no different in that respect but the pre-interview period was just as difficult.
People wisely recommend that you aren’t late for a job interview, I hate being late for anything so that wasn’t an issue. My issue was I was too early! I’m here and I can’t even go in yet, I’d started questioning what is early and what is too early – finding the right balance between a good impression and a sad desperation. Being early can be a good trait but it just left me more time to think about every little thing, the anxiety came over me and then suddenly I knew what was coming.
I didn’t particularly want the first interview question to be “were you the guy throwing up outside?” so I was then pacing up and down the street searching for somewhere more suitable to embarrass myself publicly (“are you alright mate?”).
I couldn’t go anywhere without fear of another wave of anxiety accompanying me. Come the summer of 2011 I was heading to Ibiza, my first trip abroad without any adult supervision. It hit me like a tonne of bricks as I made my way up to Manchester to meet friends. Again, I donāt think I really appreciated it was anxiety at the time but looking back my arch-enemy ‘anxiety’ was commanding its close friend āSickboyā to return and get my trip off to the worst of starts.
It was my first unsupervised trip and I guess deep down I knew it. Despite having friends with me there was no real safety net for this trip and I guess I was aware of it to some degree. The āladsā holiday didnāt start how I’d hoped, I spent the night before being ill before getting an early night whilst the others enjoyed themselves ā the taunts of being āa lightweightā were inevitable but I knew Iād barely had more than a beer and this wasnāt alcohol-related.
Iād not even left the country and I was being sick, it didnāt bode well for the rest of the trip. Fortunately, like many occasions before it, the feeling passed. I woke up nervous and excited at going away āproperlyā for the first time. However I quickly found my feet, had a wonderful week and wanted more.
Take me back!
I grew up a little on that trip, Three months later I was starting a new job and from then on I started making progress in my battle with anxiety. The anxiety-related-sickness still reared its head on occasions but the instances were becoming far fewer. I was still pretty hopeless socially but at least āSickboyā wasnāt coming out to play every time I left the house.
The worst of my anxiety seemed to be over and that takes me up to my biggest test yet. February 9th 2013: Today marks my 5 year anniversary since traveling from London to Sydney ā solo! I was traveling to the other side of the planet and this time I didnāt even have the luxury of friends to fall back on.
On the second trip to Ibiza we (Iām looking at you Chris) managed to flood our hotel room which isnāt really what you want when on holiday. However we dealt with it ā no need to panic! Fortunately the hotel wasnāt fitted with carpets and we could simply sweep the water away without any damage done (except for a few wet personal items).
Much of my anxiety I’d had on the first trip had disappeared because it was familiar the second time round. A familiar location with familiar company and we even stayed at the same hotel as the first trip so I knew exactly what to expect when traveling the second time.
Traveling solo was completely different and it tested my anxiety and confidence. I had the idea to go to Sydney for months but I was reluctant to tell people too soon because I didnāt want to start telling people and then look foolish once I backtracked. I couldnāt possibly travel on my own, could I? I was this shy little kid who didn’t know anything about anything.
I floated the idea with a few people and soon enough I was booking the time off work, I had the money to book everything and yet still no concrete plans. Money and time off were one thing but mentally I just couldn’t bring myself to get it booked.
In a literal sense obviously it isnāt true but in some respects I think there were other people who knew I was going to Sydney before I did. I was probably the last to genuinely believe it. I had people congratulating me on how brave I was and inside I was shitting myself. Come January I still hadnāt even booked my February trip to Australia ā was I even going to go? Was anxiety going to ruin this for me too? I could wait, I can go another time, wait until someone comes with me.
āThat is NEVER happening!ā ā this was probably the thing I told myself to make it happen. Maybe I would still have made it to Sydney at some point in the future but convincing myself I wouldnāt was enough to overcome the anxiety to book it. So what if I was going alone? People do it all of the time. The only person stopping me from going to Australia was myself ā if anything thereād be more reasons/excuses in the future not to go. Relationships, responsibilities, financial commitments and so many other things. Stop making bloody excuses!
Alright! It’s booked! Wait, shit! It’s booked. There’s no going back now.
Looking so excited to be traveling alone, right?
Luckily I left it so late to book the trip I didnāt really give myself long to worry myself about the trip. The trip to the airport I was feeling the nerves and a little sickly but importantly I wasnāt sick! My dad dropped me off at the airport, took a pre-trip photo to share with the world (Facebook) and from then I was on my own!
London to Singapore, Singapore to Sydney, two weeks in Sydney, Sydney to Singapore, Singapore to London ā easy!
By the time my dad left my nerves had turned more in to excitement. I was going to fucking Australia! The journey wasnāt without its nervous moments. I boarded my flight in Singapore heading to Sydney and sat in the wrong seat for starters, which is a shame as I had friendly neighbours until realising and then having to move. I started getting comfy in my correct seat only for the plane to black out before take-off ā is that supposed to happen? I looked around but nobody else was panicking, I guess we’re okay.. the plane blacks out again! Okay, that’s now twice!
Iām not normally a nervous flyer but suddenly I felt uneasy. Check the phalange or whatever else you need to do but surely weāre not going to fly? I donāt want this bloody plane blacking out mid-air! Iām not religious but come take-off I was looking to the heavens for divine intervention to make sure everything went smoothly, itās the most nervous Iāve ever been for a flight and then the whirring noise started. āWhat the fuck is that? That canāt be good!ā
What was it? The bloody wings manoeuvring. I suppose Iād never sat that close to them before or never noticed the noise it makes in switching from take-off to flying mode because I had no idea and was a wreck for the first 20 minutes of the flight.
I soon calmed down and it wasnāt until landing that I started panicking again. Having made it a few hours panic-free that whirring noise had returned ā āoh come on.. weāre almost there! Please land safely..!ā . Unsurprisingly the wings were doing the reverse of take-off and getting ready for landing. It was knowledge I wish Iād had during the flight rather than trying to familiarise myself with the faces of my crash-buddies around me.
I landed in Sydney! Iād survived! I was relieved. I passed through customs without any problems and was soon arriving at Sydneyās Central train station. Blue skies and the sound of that beautiful accent ā I was actually here! I was in fucking Sydney! Time to enjoy it!
Iām not suggesting traveling cured my anxiety because it is something I still struggle with and if it was that easy to rid yourself of mental illness then nobody would struggle with it but for me personality it proved to be a big help.
I was eating out in restaurants by myself, having to interact with strangers, putting myself in unfamiliar scenarios and it built my confidence in a way that only traveling could do. I’d always thought of myself as some shy little kid whereas I think this trip taught me there’s a difference between being quiet and lacking confidence.
Asking strangers to take photos of me and my new friend!
I’m never going to be the life of the party but I’m okay with that, it doesn’t mean I don’t have the confidence to go out, enjoy the world and live my life.
Ibiza had given me a taste but this trip really kick-started my love affair with travel and rid me of some of the doubts holding me back. If I could travel to Sydney by myself I could do anything. A month later I was booking a solo weekend trip to Kƶln and the traveling has been non-stop since.
Anxiety still invites itself along for the ride of life on occasions and remains an unwelcome plus-one but Iām ecstatic to have wished farewell to āSickboyā who hasnāt (but for self-inflicted-hangovers) been seen since prior to that airport-journey 5 years ago!
Iām luckier than most in that my anxiety is pretty mild, manageable and without medication too. However I do wish Iād had the luxury of hindsight and perhaps if more people were talking about mental illness ten years ago Iād have understood my anxiety better before it really span out of control.
Whether youāre open about your mental illness or struggle with it quietly know that there are people you can turn to. Find loved ones you can talk to, feel free to message me any time or if youād prefer something a little more anonymous get in touch with the many organisations who have people specialised to help those struggling with their mental health.
Iāve linked to a few organisations below who can advise better than I can and hopefully help make some positive steps in either overcoming it or managing it better.
I remember a friend saying to me that New York City was the best city in the world. Maybe it is, maybe it isnāt but for someone less traveled than myself I pondered whether he could proclaim it as the best?
If heād said the best heād been to so far or his favourite city, sure, Iāll allow it but stated as fact? No, I canāt accept that. Particularly as he spent his visit staying in New Jersey. If itās too expensive to stay in the city it doesnāt really give merit to the idea that itās the best city in the world, does it?
NYC, best city in the world?
For what itās worth, I love New York City and I can understand why itās so highly rated but it just falls short for me when compared to London. My love for London is unrivalled really. It is the best city that I have been to and will probably always be my favourite.
I had high hopes for New York City though, if anywhere was going to surpass my favourite this was as likely as any.
I said above, for me personally, it just fell short compared to London and I asked myself why? What gave London the edge? New York City has everything, ignoring the cost (London is hardly cheap either) my only criticism of NYC was that it āwasnāt Londonā. Needless to say Iām not entirely impartial when it comes to being a travel critic ā my system was already rigged in Londonās favour.
So rather than focus on some overseas based destination, I thought Iād dedicate this post to āmy cityā and giving a few reasons why itās my favourite.
Little Venice, London
Itās home!
First and foremost itās home. I was born in London, living there until I was 9 years old so itās a city that has been with me since day one. I feel proud to have grown up in London and have that association with the city. Iāve lived in Peterborough for the 20+ years since and whilst I do possess some local pride it just isnāt the same.
I have so many good memories growing up in London and itās a city that is always there to welcome me back when I visit. Itās a special city with special people and itās easy to see why so many people around the world fall in love with it.
Views like this have people falling in love with London
Itās diverse!
One of the things I love most about London is that itās open to everyone. Iām privileged to be able to travel pretty much anywhere in the world without fear but not everybody has that same luxury. Homosexuality for instance is still punishable by death in some countries, whereas London has one of the largest Pride festivals in the world.
Iām not suggesting London is perfect but itās a lot more accepting than many parts of the world and celebrations of all backgrounds are widely enjoyed here. For example a vivid memory of my time in school was learning about Diwali and being fascinated by the āfestival of lightsā in assembly.
London is home to people of so many backgrounds so throughout the year youāll find various celebrations to reflect that. With the Chinese New Year approaching itād be a great time to take a wander through Londonās very own Chinatown and see some of the decorations on display.
London getting in to the Christmas spirit!
It’s not all city life!
I think one of the biggest misconceptions about London is that itās just a big city ā all traffic and pollution. You might be surprised to know that itās estimated that 47% of London is green space, almost half of the city! London always has so much going on and itās easy to be overwhelmed by that but if you need a little time to sit back and escape the London rush then there are so many places to do so!
London is full of beautiful parks and places to relax. Admittedly the weather can be detrimental to actually enjoying some of these spaces but on sunnier days there are few better places to enjoy London. Park visits were always an enjoyable part of my childhood and I used to love collecting āconkersā as the change of season hit and they started falling from the trees near our home.
Green Park last Autumn.
It is ever-changing!
I think thereās a reluctance among travellers to visit somewhere more than once but with London youāre never going to see everything. Whether you visit once or you visit 500 times itās never going to be the same experience.
For starters, England has four different seasons so London has a very different feel to it depending what time of year you visit (rain in the summer, rain in the winter..). London is a great place to see the changing seasons and the festivities that come with that, such as great outdoor festivals in the summer or Christmas decorations in the winter, make it a place youāll want to return to.
Beyond the seasons thereās so many other things constantly happening in London. New restaurants opening, new shopping brands arriving in the city, new shows to see in the city, new bars to check out. Youāll never experience everything in London and it makes it such an enjoyable city to return to time after time.
One of the new shows I went to see in 2017 – it’s good!
Itās home to world-famous sights!
I thought Iād end on this final point but the last thing that makes London special for me is that itās home to so many iconic landmarks. Everybody is familiar with the likes of Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St Paulās cathedral and the London Eye and they look even more impressive in person!
Iāll never tire of wandering through Westminster and taking in some of Londonās best known landmarks.
Of course the landmarks stretch beyond the best-known ones. Many popular TV shows and films feature some famous places in London such as Baker Street or the Millennium Bridge, whilst of course you have iconic music, theatre and sporting venues too.
Some of the marketplaces in London are some of the worldās most famous and everyone loves a good red bus / telephone box photo when they visit. London is full of familiar sights and sometimes youāve got to go and see them for yourself!
Beautiful St Paul’s Cathedral
Hopefully youāve enjoyed this post and the little glimpse in to the reasons why I love London. There are many more of course but Iād be writing forever if I listed them all.
Now tell me, what do you love about London and if it isnāt your favourite city then tell me where is! Maybe Iāll have to pay it a visit!
One of my blogging struggles of late has been trying to focus on what I actually want this blog to be. Whether youāre a full-time blogger or doing this just as a bit of fun, I think itās easy to question yourself and let the doubts creep in. Are people still reading this? Are they enjoying it? Is the content good enough? What can I do better? What are other bloggers doing?
It took me giving advice to someone else recently to remember why I started this ā I enjoy it! I want to read back about MY experiences and whether itās 1 person or 1,000 that read along it shouldnāt matter.
So the questions switched from the above to am I still enjoying this? Does this blog truly reflect me? What can make it more personal?
There are several styles to approach blogging with and different things work for different bloggers. However the aim of the (blogging) game for me is going to be keeping a personal touch to this.
In spite of that I do still want to do the places I visit justice and offer people some inspiration to visit; with that in mind this has possibly been my toughest blogpost yet.
Spending three days in a city should be plenty of time to talk about everything the city has to offer and yet Iām struggling. I barely scratched the surface in Lisbon. To say I spent three days in Lisbon would be a lie, three nights would probably be more appropriate. I checked in to my hostel on Wednesday morning and was greeted to a āwelcome to Lisbonā shot. In more ways than one that should have been a sign of things to come.
I say more ways than one because whilst it was certainly a sign of how much alcohol I would end up consuming on this trip, it was also a reflection of Lisbonās hospitality. I had never been to Portugal before but I already felt right at home.
Of all the places Iāve visited, Iām not sure thereās anywhere Iāve felt as welcomed as I did in Lisbon throughout my stay. Iāve yet to visit anywhere that can match Portugalās hospitality and a lot of accommodation awards and reviews back that up!
Lisbon made me fall in love with Portugal very quickly and the people were a big reason for that. Three days (nights) in Lisbon gave me a wonderful impression of the country and itās definitely somewhere I want to explore more of ā Porto in particular is now high on the list of places to visit!
However back to Lisbon, itās a beautiful city and like many capital cities has a lot to offer. I didnāt get to experience as much as Iād intended before going as the evening antics did result in some necessary recovery time the following day. Nevertheless hereās what I got up to in Lisbon and why my 2014 trip proved to be so memorable.
First exploration of Lisbon. Blue skies were a good start!
Wednesday:
Iād convinced my friend Daniel that we should go out to Portugal to watch the football. A football-orientated European away trip had been a childhood dream of mine and by 2014 I was itching to do my first overseas trip watching Tottenham.
The schedule sent us to play Lisbon based Benfica and it was too good an opportunity to miss. Lisbon was a āmust-do tripā .
Me and Daniel booked our flights and accommodation separately as I was a little less cautious in worrying about getting a ticket for the football ā worst case scenario Iād find a pub in Lisbon to watch it if it proved to be problematic.
We both took morning flights from London but I arrived in to Lisbon an hour earlier which gave me a small opportunity to have a little wander before lunch.
I first found my hostel on the off-chance I could check in early ā my room wasnāt ready but the guy on reception kindly gave me a shot (as mentioned above) and showed me around the hostel. I left my bag in some storage and got back to having a little wander of the city.
First impressions of Lisbon were good, admittedly the sunshine probably helped but the city had character in abundance. I quickly arrived at one of Lisbonās most famous squares ā the Praca do Comercio. Itās a huge area overlooking the Tagus river with a range of restaurants closeby. A great place for people-watching!
Praca do Comercio
My next impressions werenāt so flattering ā I was soon approached by a couple of guys enquiring if Iād like to purchase some drugs from them. This seemed a regular occurrence in Lisbon over the next couple of days in what appeared to be a bizarre combined sunglasses and drugs enterprise. āSunglasses? Hash?ā ā seemingly unable to sell one without the other.
They were everywhere Wednesday and Thursday but had seemingly disappeared come Friday with grey skies. I politely declined which was a better response than they received from most of my fellow Brits on Thursday. Admittedly they didnāt have the strongest business model ā attempting to sell cheap sunglasses to people wearing sunglasses wasnāt ever likely to be too successful!
I arranged to meet Daniel around lunchtime in Rossio Square ā having never been to Lisbon I had no idea how big the square was or how easy itād be to find each-other so I reverted to Google for a suitable meeting spot.. āOutside the big yellow M?ā
A lack of Wi-Fi meant I knew I wouldnāt be able to contact Daniel in Lisbon so I figured meeting outside of something so easily recognisable would be the best option before moving on elsewhere.
It sounds like a good idea in theory but did this famous M jump out at me? No. āWhere the fuck is this McDonalds?ā
My first impression in Bonn (Germany) exiting its train station was the sight of that big yellow M which was a damning first impression but, on this occasion, when I was actively looking for it I was having no luck whatsoever. I reckon I walked past it at least once, plus figured maybe Iād confused it with a neighbouring square so circled that at least once too. Eventually I found Daniel who found it a little quicker than I had.
Even if weād wanted to go inside I think Iād have boycotted it on this occasion in my frustration at finding it!
As it was we found a little bakery / pastry shop nearby and picked up some good local cuisine ā pastries and fish are particularly popular in Lisbon.
After a quick lunch we went and grabbed a beer, soaked up the sunshine and did a little people-watching. It killed a bit of time before allowing us to head to our hostels and get checked in.
Exploring Lisbon, meeting the locals.
We made the most of a little downtime and arranged to meet up again later in the evening, find some food and go and find a bar to watch the Wednesday night football. We found an Irish pub and apparently werenāt alone in our thinking as we came to find there were a number of other Spurs fans already here creating a bit of an atmosphere.
A few beers and an early start had taken its toll on me, I definitely dozed off at one point during the football which says it all for how exciting the game was. We got talking to a couple of other guys whoād traveled over from England but left soon after the football finished in aim of an early night. Tomorrow was going to be all about the football and soaking up the atmosphere in Rossio Square with thousands of Spurs fans expected to be in Lisbon for Thursday eveningās game. We didnāt want to start drinking too early so agreed to meet up around lunchtime ā allowing us the morning to explore independently.
On the walk back to my hostel Iād been craving food and before heading up to sleep I thought that Iād pop my head in to the bar area to see if food was a possibility ā success! I ordered some pizza and was told to ātake a seatā and someone would bring it over. A party of four to my right invited me over to join them. I was feeling pretty drowsy and planned to get a good nightās sleep after eating but the opportunity to make some friends quickly perked me up.
Minutes later a party of three had sat down to my left and were engaging me in conversation and looking on in pizza-envy! There wasn’t enough pizza to go around, mind you I’m not sure I would have shared it anyway.
The party to my right had dispersed shortly after but I shared conversation and drinks with the other three for the remainder of the night. At 2 euros a beer I was even content buying the odd round because four beers for less than ten euros seemed a bargain.
It got to around 1am and we called it a night ā āsee you at breakfastā someone said rather optimistically. I donāt know if the other three made it but my attempt was much less successful!
Thursday:
Iām not going to go in to Thursdayās daytime antics too much as I plan to do a separate post on life in Lisbon from a football perspective. Plus there isnāt much to tell.
Daniel spent his morning exploring for miles and Iād spent mine in bed still feeling a little rough from the night before. We met around lunchtime for a few hours of drinking and singing in Rossio Square and then dispersed towards Benficaās Estadio De Luz (Stadium of Light).
Home of Benfica FC. The game finished 2-2.Ā
After the football we arrived back in to Rossio Square to find a scattering of Spurs fans still around and occupying the restaurants. We grabbed a late dinner and finished off the evening with a couple of drinks before calling it a night.
Iād already had a taster of night-time fun in my hostel so couldnāt resist the temptation of popping in to the bar for āa quick drinkā in the hope maybe Iād cling to some more new friends or bump in to the ones from the night before.
The bar was a bit busier at this point as the hostel run their famous āMamas Dinnersā and I think this had just ended followed by an imminent pub crawl.
Two Spanish guys saw me sat by myself and invited me over. We got chatting and they asked if Iād like to join them to go and watch some local Fado music as there was a particular artist they wanted to see playing. It sounded perfect to me!
Off we went in to the streets of Lisbon to find this bar. In hindsight I should have messaged Daniel, told him to leave his hostel and join us. I got swept up in the excitement of heading out with new friends and the thought hadnāt even crossed my mind. Sorry Daniel!
Soon enough we arrived at this cosy little bar with lots of locals dancing away. We grabbed a couple of beers and joined in, enjoying the atmosphere of the place. It didnāt go on too late (I think) but it was such a fun evening and a real highlight. We parted ways once back at the hostel but I was so thankful theyād invited me to tag along. It wasn’t something I would ever have done otherwise.
Friday:
De ja vu! Iād had a fun night but it led to another morning not wanting to get out of bed. I hadnāt seen much of Lisbon on Wednesday and seen even less on Thursday ā with another morning passing me by I had to make the most of my Friday afternoon.
If I saw nothing else on this trip I had to go and see the Sao Jorge castle.
I canāt recommend anything else in Lisbon so fortunately I can at the very list recommend visiting here. The grounds are great to look around and the views are stunning and make the entry fee worthwhile. For better photographers than myself it is a dream location and we even had a peacock for company wandering the castle grounds! Crazy!
After getting plenty of photos we made our way back in to town for an early dinner. The city felt much emptier than previous days with the majority of Brits already homeward bound by this point.
Following dinner we returned to our hostels to freshen up and enjoy one last night in Lisbon. Iād missed out on the hostel pub crawl on the previous two nights so there was part of me tempted to do it this evening. However given I had a Saturday morning flight I took the more sensible approach and avoided it.
After a little time to relax I waited outside my hostel for Daniel to come and meet me ā the weather had taken a turn for the worse and it was apparent rain was imminent.
I rushed back upstairs to pick up my coat and found two young women had checked in to my shared room. They were also Brits but studying in Spain and just wanted a little weekend break in Lisbon.
I was conscious I was now late meeting Daniel so I said my goodbyes and left them to relax. Again in hindsight I should have invited them to join us for a few drinks in Lisbon. Another missed opportunity that, looking back on, I wished Iād done differently. Oops!
I met Daniel downstairs and suggested we grab a beer at the hostel bar and hope the rain would pass. With no signs of improvement we braved the rain and went off in search of a bar in one of Lisbonās famous neighbourhoods (Bairro Alto) known for having a great nightlife.
Being a Friday evening we were hopeful of finding some fun bars to enjoy ourselves but instead were greeted with a zombie-like city.
I donāt know if weād gone out too early to enjoy the Portuguese nightlife or whether theyāre all fair-weather drinkers afraid of a little rain but we passed several bars which were empty. Eventually we gave in and just found a cosy-looking bar to get out of the rain. After a couple of drinks we moved on hoping for more success and found this tiny bar showing some Portuguese football. The only other people here were a group of Portuguese women who seemed more interested in having a dance than the football. Realising they werenāt going to have much luck here they left and soon after we did the same in search of a livelier bar.
Finally we found a bar with some music playing and looked to have more than a handful of people inside ā the first bar that didnāt seem completely dead. Along with a number of other people weād somehow found the group of women from the bar before who seemed equally amused that weād crossed paths again.
We enjoyed the music but were soon on our way again but resigned to the fact we werenāt having much luck finding somewhere in Lisbon. On the way back to our hostels we did pass one bar which actually seemed busy and we could certainly squeeze another beer in so figured weād go in.
It seemed like an after-work hangout for the business folk of the city ā a little posher than anywhere else weād been. I ordered a beer which the barman handed to me. A bottle of beer accompanying a glass, as I reached for just the bottle I was met with a look of disgust from the barman – āUse the glass you peasantā.
Whilst I didnāt argue I did wonder why heād given me a bottle if I wasnāt supposed to use it. If youāre going to force me in to using a glass then pour the damn beer in to the glass for me ā i.e do your bloody job as a barman.
Needless to say it isnāt a bar Iād feel a rush to return to and we only stayed for the one beer.
Weād had a few beers but werenāt too drunk, however it felt like a good time to call it a night and so headed back to our hostels. Iād like to say thatās where the night ended for me but you can probably see where this is going.
Iād purposefully avoided the pub crawl in order to not get too drunk but another quick one before bed at the hostel bar wouldnāt hurt, right?
Iād not even got as far as ordering a beer and I could hear my name. The Spanish guys from the night before were waving me over to come and join them to which I was happy to oblige.
They were sat with some new friends around this large round table and I found some space to join them. The guys had a guitar with them tonight and were playing some Spanish tunes and having a bit of a sing-along. I had no idea what they were singing but most of the tunes were easy to follow and clap along to. The songs kept coming, the beers kept flowing and I was in the best of company – pure bliss!
I forgot to add one of the Spanish guys only spoke broken English (still better than my Spanish), the night before his friend had played a happy interpreter to leave nobody feeling left out. With the night winding down my Spanish friend tried, in his best English, to ask what songs I liked that he could play. I was trying to think of artists or bands that he might be familiar with and posed the question – “Oasis?”
Next thing I know heās blasting out Wonderwall on the guitar and weāre both singing along in one of those rare instances where you realise how incredible music can be in bringing people together. He couldnāt speak good English, I could speak virtually no Spanish and yet here we were sharing this incredible moment belting out a classic with some beers.
It would have been the perfect time to call it a night but some French guy bought a round of vodka shots. I hate being in debt with people, even strangers, so of course I had to return the favour .
By this point it was clear I needed to get to bed but the damage was probably already done. Iād avoided the pub crawl and probably ended up equally drunk anyway. We said our goodnights and they wished me luck for the morning in my attempt to get home. I was going to need it!
Saturday:
A morning flight? Why!? This is another wonderful case of hindsight and prioritising relationships over convenience. Trying to make long distance work with some girl based in Birmingham was tricky whilst holding a Monday-Friday job. Weekends were the easiest chance for us to catch up so I figured Iād fly home Saturday morning so we could still spend Saturday evening and Sunday together.
2-3 weeks later weād broken up and I now wish Iād flown home Saturday evening instead or, better yet, Sunday evening and had an extra day in Lisbon.
I woke up feeling SO rough on the Saturday. I also wasnāt helped by waking up late which meant I had a mad rush to get checked out and to the airport in time for my flight. I flagged down a taxi and crossed my fingers that I’d be on that flight home back to England.
Fortunately I was. I felt awful and flying didnāt help that. It’s one of the worst hangovers I’ve had but fortunately I ended up sleeping most of the way which was probably for the best.
My photos don’t do this city justice but it’s so perfect!Ā
Reflecting back on Lisbon could easily be seen as a waste to some people. I would love to have more photos or to have seen more of the city and itās definitely somewhere I want to return to but thereās not a chance Iād swap those memories for a hangover free morning on any of the days I spent in Lisbon.
Whilst it wasnāt the three days Iād anticipated, the three nights are some of the best Iāve had traveling and the people I met only enforced why I love exploring this beautiful planet.
Thank you for being such wonderful hosts Portugal! I love you!
