Sintra

From having not been away away in forever, to a sudden flurry of trips, I've not been able to keep up with myself!

So, I write this first post (possibly of 4, maybe even 5.. strap in!) in retrospect. Hopeful that I haven't forgotten anything, but also aware that realistically, I probably will have. One thing I won't forget in a hurry is the feeling I had as I lay on a yoga mat in the middle of an enchanted forest in Portugal, having only been at work less than 24-hours before. Pure bliss. Surreal, but pure bliss.

I think booking a retreat for our first adventure abroad in over two years was definitely the right thing to do. It was an utterly magical day among a small group of lovely women, in a really beautiful setting. We shared. Experiences, stories, expression, an enchanting space, a delicious lunch; it felt like a real 'welcome back'. And even 3 months on, I'm still carrying the energy with me. I'm still asking the questions; still keen to learn more. Someone actually suggested the other day that I should blog about my yoga journey. If I do, I think the Sintra retreat might be where I start.

But, for now, I'll move on to the evening after. Having arrived in the dark on the previous evening in a taxi that hurtled along the narrow, cobbled streets the wrong way (my Portuguese may be next to non-existent, but I can still recognise signs for one-way streets), then headed straight out to the retreat the next morning, we hadn't really had time to get our bearings.

So, when our day in the forest came to a close, we wandered slowly back to our apartment; taking a little more time to admire Sintra in all its fairy-tale glory (made even more charming in the evening sun). That evening, we learned that we'd be eating a lot of bacalhau, especially at the particular restaurant we had chosen where they served nothing but (it's cod, by the way). 

The next day, the weather had turned. But it was dry, so we headed to Cascais for a day by the sea. Found a nice, sheltered spot on a small beach in a bay where we stayed until lunch; people watching, splashing in the sea, and telling ourselves that it definitely was just about bikini weather..

One of the women at the retreat had recommended a place in Cascais by the lighthouse which offered live radio and good food. So, we walked there for lunch along the waterfront and past some interesting buildings (and a volleyball tournament (we didn't stop)).

Sam was glad that we opted to climb the lighthouse before eating, as once at the top, she may have otherwise lost her lunch. In going up when we did, we also seemed to beat the crowd. Sat at the bottom looking up as we ate, it certainly seemed a lot more popular all of a sudden (we're clearly just such trend-setters).

After food, we were back on the bus, and on our way to another recommended spot; Adraga Beach.

The weather had still not improved, but having grown up spending time on Norfolk beaches in all weathers, in all seasons, we were not deterred. Seemed this particular beach was a popular spot with surfers; we were taken aback by the power of the waves as we wandered along the sand, and between rocks.

As much as we didn't want to tear ourselves away, we were aware that time was pressing on, and we were ever-so-slightly in the middle of nowhere (eek!) with a fairly hefty walk back up a hill to where we'd be catching the bus.

Well, Google Maps failed us. And while there's a fairly long story here somewhere, I'll spare you the details and just say that we were truly grateful to the elderly gentleman who entertained us with his fashioning (and testing) of some sort of pan flute made from plastic tubing, as we sat on the kerb outside his house. He really did sound surprisingly good!

Eventually, the bus came (of course not before two others that couldn't take us where we needed to go appeared) and it was back to town for dinner and an early night to recover.

Aahh, the Pena Palace. Just when we thought the weather couldn't get any better, it didn't. It got worse. A whole lot worse. But in true British-tourist style, we powered on through (well, and we were lulled into a slightly false sense of security as we headed out into sunshine in the town itself in the morning).

..actually, it wasn't exactly sunny, was it?

One thing we learned about Sintra is that it's a bit of a micro-climate. And as our bus climbed up the mountain rounds, there was a distinct shift. The Pena Palace of pictures was barely visible as we reached the end of the line for entry. It was comical, really, how determined we all were to have a nice time as we stood in the queue being battered by wind and horizontal rain. Some of us had been sensible enough to have at least something waterproof to hand, but many of us had not (although, as I tried to reason, skin is waterproof.. isn't it?).

Maybe not what we'd expected, it was still an experience and we made the best of it. The cloud did clear up at least enough to appreciate the palace's colourful facade, and our walk through the gardens was at least dry.

The Castle of the Moors, we both agreed, would definitely make for a lovely family day out on a bright and sunny day. We soldiered on, but by this point, we really were getting very wet, and could barely see where we were going as we climbed up steps and along the ruined walls, let alone admire any views of the town and countryside below. Wet through to our unmentionables, it was time to swallow our pride and call it a day.

A warm shower, and a swift change into some dry clothes back at the apartment, we found ourselves in a lovely little restaurant almost right next door, where the waiter (possibly the owner, too) was very keen for us to try the desserts he'd just whipped up for the evening service. We did, and they were delicious.

Having abandoned our palace / castle crawl the previous day, we resolved to fit one more in before we would make our way back to Lisbon for our flight home.

Maybe it was in part an improvement in the weather, but I think either way we both agreed that we'd saved the best til last. Much of the palace itself was closed off for refurbishment, but the gardens were great fun to explore. We enjoyed spiralling down into the depths of the well, crossing various bridges, climbing towers, and walking through the grotto.

Finally, after a bite to eat, it was time to collect our luggage from the Tourist Information office and board a train to Lisbon.

Having spent longer than we anticipated in Sintra in the morning, our Lisbon exploration was brief, and a little bit frantic. But it was nice to crash a honeymoon (don't worry, they were expecting us), and to enjoy refreshment while enjoying a view over the sea in the sunshine (typical). Oh, and there was definitely time for tram hysteria, so that was good.

I think a few days away was the perfect amount to ease us into holiday-ing again. And it was very grounding (if that's the right word) to see people we knew. A very special trip, all round, really. Maybe we'll be back for more retreating in the not too distant future. I hope.

Open House 2019

This year, our Open House personal best was well and truly beaten as we managed to make our way around nine official stops (plus one favourite for lunch (give us any excuse)) in only one day! Our day began in Bank, where I waited a while on a bench outside the Royal Exchange, basking in the relative peace and quiet that comes with a Saturday in the City. 

Part of our success at getting around to so many buildings I think probably came from choosing places within walking distance of each other. In previous years we've schlepped from one side of London to the other, hopping on buses, tubes, and Overground to get around. This year on the other hand, most places were 5 minutes or so from one another, with our longest walk only totalling 21 minutes. 

First stop was 8-10 Moorgate; office buildings belonging to ING insurance. Each meeting room boasted themed art collections, corridors were lined with large, abstract pieces, and there were two spacious balconies where we stood a while to enjoy sunshine and an alternative view of the city.

From here, we made our way to the first Livery Hall of the day; the Draper's Hall. By the end of the day, I'd decided that this stop was possibly my favourite. Each room had an even bigger 'wow' factor than the last. I could have happily lived forever in the incredibly decadent drawing room decorated in pastel shades with mirrors on almost every wall and enough chairs to suit even Goldilocks.

Next on the list, another Livery Hall; this time the Salters' Hall and Garden. Quite the contrast from the Draper's Hall, the Salters' Hall stood alongside Barbican as a Brutalist building with a recent extension offering floor to ceiling views of surrounding buildings. 

Here we were given a guided tour, which took us around the main rooms in the building, into the Archives below, and finished in the gardens which I think I may well return to one day in the summer holidays with a book.

So close by, of course we couldn't resist popping into Barbican if only for a lunch stop. We had been disappointed to discover that no Barbican buildings were open over the Open House weekend, although understood why as we battled our way through crowds of graduates and their families in the café. 

On the other side of Barbican's lake sits St Giles-without-Cripplegate Church. It was open, and I've never understood how to get there, so we had to investigate! Finally found our way up to the elusive walkway that crosses over the water and down to the other side, and made our way across to the Church. Not a lot to see, but it was worth going in if only to say that I finally have!

We then made our way out of Barbican (not without detours) and on to King's College. Happened upon Charterhouse Square where we spied an Open House sign outside The Charterhouse. A talk was just beginning, so we made our way inside. Scared off by our first large crowd of the day (still not even that large, really), we retreated into the Chapel. Upon discovery that this was a museum that is open and free all year round, we all agreed that we'd be back.

Back on track, we soon found The Maughan Library and enjoyed our time spent here, following a very handy set of arrow signs which led us up, down, round and round. Our favourite room was probably the circular Reading Room with its gorgeous windowed ceiling. It did feel a bit strange to be stood around ooh-ing and aah-ing with fellow Open House goers as real-life students were trying to actually do some work on a weekend. 

Also rather enjoyed the cast iron and slate shelves in an original cell, and lots of other original features along the way such as cell doors, and a Victorian ceiling which it transpired had been above our heads as we entered.

What we thought might be our final call of the day was the Royal Courts of Justice. Expecting to be greeted by our first queue of the day, we were actually pleasantly surprised when said queue was relatively short, and moved quickly.

Thoroughly enjoyed Sarah's tour-guide skills as she read her way through two incredibly useless maps with very little information which led us around the ground and first floors. Decided that court houses are not the most pleasant of buildings, especially as we were ushered through the cells below, and in and out of prison vans. Even the courtrooms themselves were rather austere, and everywhere was very dark. An interesting place to visit, all the same.

Two Temple Place was yet another example of 'what do we do here today? Oh, the building's mostly used for corporate events and as a filming location..'. Originally some wealthy banker's personal office (it's alright for some), the staircase was a sight to behold, and there was some absolutely stunning stained glass.

Definitely running out of time by this point, we had just enough to swing by a Roman, but not Roman plunge bath. Now owned by the National Trust, it would be easy to miss as it's down some fairly dingy steps, along an alleyway and underneath some buildings. Usually open by appointment only, on most occasions you'd probably just get to peer through a dusty window. A pleasantly odd way to end our jam-packed day.

The bath itself was not particularly photogenic,  but the tiles were pretty (and definitely not Roman)..

The bath itself was not particularly photogenic, 

but the tiles were pretty (and definitely not Roman)..

Evening drawing in and feet tired from the many steps taken, all that was left was to find a seat at a pub serving stout-y things. Another amazing year.

Prague

Woken by the gentle clanging of pots and pans in the kitchen, we were lured out of bed by the smell of omelette wafting through the apartment, courtesy of Chef Stuart. Our day began with a highly civilised breakfast around the table before we headed out to join a free walking tour as an introduction to the city of Prague.

Slightly worryingly large numbers fortunately thinned out as we were split into smaller groups with different guides. Our tour guide, Nicolo, took us around the Old City, into some of the New, and through the Jewish Quarter; offering recommendations and lots of history along the way.

Our tour ended at the river, and just in time for lunch. Continued wandering along the tow path in search of a traditional Czech restaurant on Nicolo's list of recommendations. Having reached the restaurant, Kolkovna, we went for three pints of Pillsner, one of 'dark beer', and a selection of 'Meals to Accompany Beer' to share. Tastiest dishes were a turkey schnitzel fried in cornflakes and served with a potato salad, and smoked sausage baked in beer. We also mostly enjoyed pickled sausage slices, and a marinated Camembert-style cheese. Pickled cheese, however, is not something that would make it onto our recommendation lists!

Feeling that we'd had our fill of walking in the morning, we decided to head to a park, Vojanovy Sady, where we were promised peacocks. Slightly enamoured by pea-babies, we did a lot less sitting than expected, and a lot more following / herding them around, taking full advantage of the many photo opportunities.

Eventually tore ourselves away, and continued our search for a way to cool down. Found a boat tour on a boat with a maximum of 12 passengers, which suited us very nicely. The journey up and down the river at a snail's pace was extremely pleasant, and we very much enjoyed the meditation-style guide over the tannoy accompanied by gentle classical music.

Obviously we were highly disappointed when 'the moment of parking [had] come'. More Pillsner, the lilting motion of a boat, and a pretty jam-packed day had us feeling utterly soporific as we alighted and began to wend out way 'home'.

Chose a slightly different route to the one we had taken earlier in the day, and found ourselves at one of the gate towers on the Charles Bridge. Thought we might as well climb up as we were passing. In the Entrance, we were met with a sleeping cashier. Much like the troll guarding the bridge in the Three Billy Goats Gruff, she was soon woken when Clair trod on a particularly squeaky step and ordered us to 'pay' (still with as much enthusiasm as her sleeping on the job had suggested she had).

Beautiful views over red rooves and the river gave us plenty to 'ooh' and 'aah' at, as well as providing a few ideas for plans the following day. Our legs and feet officially dead when we reached the bottom, we called it a day and made our way directly to the apartment for a freshen up and a rest before heading back out for dinner.

In an attempt to save our feet from further cobble-related trauma, we opted for another traditional Czech restaurant close by. More Pillsner and more dark beer was enjoyed. Wanting to try both beef goulash with bacon dumplings, and roast pork bits with potato dumplings and creamed spinach, we decided to order two of each and do a half-way swap. Opinion was divided on which was the better of the two, but we did all agree that everything was delicious.

Back at the apartment via Tesco for Magnums, we settled in for a night of Catan. Beginners luck, and a tiny bit of accidental foul play saw me win after a long battle lasting around two hours by which time we were very ready for bed. First impressions of Prague - pretty excellent!

Opted for brunch at a bookshop café to kick-start our day. Took our time over a Full English, and three servings of Eggs Benedict; two with a side of salmon, one with a side of sausages. Couldn't then resist a browse before we headed out on a walk found in a leaflet at our apartment offering walks 'off the beaten path to places known and unknown'.

Globe, where we'd had brunch, was only a short walk from 'the wizardy hat' church, as Sarah had fondly named it, formally known as Emmaus Monastery. So, despite this spot being number 15 of 16 on the map, we began here and walked the route in reverse.

The map took us up, down, up, and down hill again, through streets almost deserted on a Sunday; we certainly felt very much off the beaten track. We wandered a while through the Charles University Botanical Gardens, passed an English-style red-brick maternity hospital, and stopped at a pub where we were plagued by wasps, as well as many a viewpoint looking over the city from various angles. Perhaps our favourite view was looking over the river leading out of Prague from the ramparts by the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. 

A wander round the cemetery of the Basilica was a fascinating, and peaceful near end to our walk. We sighted the graves of Smetana and Dvorak among many scholars, architects, and physicians.

Down a steep path, we were led from the ramparts back to the riverside where we wandered back in the direction of where our journey had begun. A small bar on a boat caught our attention, and we stopped here for more beer and entertainment in the form of swan and people watching, over-looking the river.

With a table at a jazz bar booked for the evening, we decided to make our way straight from the bar to another of Nicolo's suggestions, a pizza restaurant considered delicious even by his Italian standards. Delicious it was, and we soon demolished a lasagne, and three pizzas with various toppings ranging from anchovies, to artichokes, to Tuscan sausage.

The restaurant was close to our apartment, so full of pizza we headed back to freshen up before making our way back out again to Jazz Republic. The venue, also, was not too far from the apartment, although dusk over the river slowed us down somewhat as we crossed a bridge to reach it.

The bar itself was below street level, and full of small tables with benches around the room, and chairs in the centre, all facing a small stage. We were shown to our table towards the back, then ordered drinks while we waited for the music to start.

Bopped (mostly) along to 45 minutes of Blues before calling it a night (the band hadn't even made it through a full 3 songs by this point. It was a little indulgent) and taking a scenic walk back across Charles Bridge and 'home' for another night.

Pastries for breakfast in the apartment, we headed out fairly early for a trip out of the city to the village of Karlstejn. Found our way to a train station nearby, no thanks to Google Maps, and after some confusion over platforms, eventually figured out where we were supposed to be and waited for our train.

Great excitement arose when the train that pulled in was a double decker. Straight to the top deck, we each found window seats and sat back to enjoy the journey. Alighting the train, Clair and I were transported back to Ayutthaya as we clambered across the tracks to leave the station. Followed a small crowd into the village, up-hill all the way.

Decided to stop for an early-ish lunch before continuing the climb up to the main attraction, the castle. Found ourselves in a traditional restaurant with a terrace from where we could watch people making their own journeys up to the castle; some by foot, others by horse and cart. Thoroughly enjoyed our helpings of roast boar served with sauerkraut, red cabbage, and potato dumplings. Were also quite grateful for the sprinkling of rain that came down while we sat under the protection of a large parasol.

Our strength regained, we braved a move and carried on the rest of the way to the castle. Just in time for the next English speaking tour, we headed to the meeting point and were soon being led to the first chamber. Enjoyed the perfect dose of historic fact, and were really impressed by the castle itself, with its stunning views of the village below, and surrounding forest.

The journey back into Prague was straightforward, and we slightly sneakily opted to go one stop further into the city than our tickets technically allowed, taking us closer to the Old Town. As we wandered back towards civilisation, we passed another of the gate towers, this time the Powder Tower, and decided to climb up for an alternative view over the city. It was interesting to observe the contrast between here and the view over the Lesser City, with fewer red rooves this time, and more modern buildings peeping through here and there.

Back at the bottom, the view had given us our bearings, so we carried on towards the Old Town Square, via a bar where we ordered 'mixed beer', a tasty combination of Pillsner and dark beer. We were slightly disappointed by its appearance when it arrived, having seen it in on or two bars previously sitting very much like balsamic and olive oil, but we were pleased with the taste nevertheless.

Tummies rumbling, we made our way to a Vietnamese restaurant that we'd spotted the previous evening hidden in a convenience store. Prague is renowned for its Vietnamese, and we were not at all disappointed here. Pho was delicious, although a little warm between the steam from our dishes, and the spice from Stuart's fried duck. Sweating, we decided to go in search of ice cream to cool us down.

Crème de la Crème had an amazing selection, and their 'medium' portions were incredibly generous. I was super excited to find lavender ice cream outside of Norfolk, and had a scoop mixed with one of chocolate. We all ended up a melty mess (some of us more than others) as we sat outside on the steps of Prague City Hall.

Defeated by our enormous ice creams, we walked back along the river once again, stopping a while to watch boats passing through a lock. One of the boats had a jazz band on board, so once we returned to the apartment we were inspired to have an evening of jazz ourselves as we played cards before bed.

Hoping to beat the crowds, we set off to Prague's own castle at a reasonable hour. Took the most direct route in the hope of saving our feet. Some confusion over to actually enter the castle (sign-posting in Prague is not the best), but we eventually found our way in and joined the queue for tickets.

Collectively, we wouldn't recommend Prague Castle. St Vitus Cathedral was pretty, and the views from the castle were good, but otherwise we spent the day feeling like sheep being herded from one place to another, and found ourselves getting more than a little angry at groups of tourists in their swathes.

When we finally managed to escape, we decided to head straight to a monastery with a brewery where we enjoyed a stiff drink and our second beef goulash, served this time with two varieties of dumpling, and slices of bread for dipping in the gravy. Just what we needed!

From the brewery, we followed some of another route from our handy leaflet, which took us again off the beaten track and past another couple of beautiful churches, and along a stunning little street, Nový Svět, reminiscent of Norwich's Elm Hill. It was as we wandered along this street that clouds began to gather. Having been so lucky on the previous days of our trip, I had left my brolly behind, and Clair her poncho...

We had just reached the bottom of the castle steps when the heavens opened. Cobbles had proved tricky enough to navigate up to this point, but they became even more treacherous in the rain. So we slipped and slid our way to shelter sharing Stuart's umbrella and Sarah's rain jacket, and tried to figure out our next move.

Fortunately, rain drove us into an archway where we found a really lovely souvenir shop with lots of local art in the form of magnets, mugs, postcards and beer mats. Next door we stumbled across a craft beer café, so stayed a while as I made my way steadily through 750ml of passionfruit sour.

Rain clouds cleared, we were lured back outside by the reappearance of sunshine, and made our way via Charles Bridge back to the Old Town Square in the hope of climbing another tower and to embrace the Astronomical Clock experience. Got as far as the ticket office in the Old Town Hall, and discovered that entry to the tower was considerably more than we'd been paying for other towers, so chose to give it a miss.

Back outside, we were just in time to see the clock doing its thing. Experience over all too soon, we'd got a taste for Vietnamese the previous evening, so headed off to find Banh Mi at another restaurant recommendation. We found Banh Mi Makers tucked away in a little courtyard, so found a table where we enjoyed fresh mango rolls, fresh summer rolls, and Banh Mi filled with duck, and traditional pork.

Also similarly to the previous evening, we then returned to Crème de la Crème (for smaller portions this time); less for cooling properties this time, and more for a little something sweet. Chilled out at the apartment with prosecco and more games for our last night in the city.

A leisurely check-out meant that we managed a semi lie-in on our final morning. Headed back to Globe for another brunch, which turned rather dramatic when the heavens opened and we huddled together under an umbrella to eat.

Content that the rain had ceased at least for a moment once we'd finished our food, we made our way to a nearby tram stop and took the tram to the main station where we planned to leave our luggage and figure out how we'd make our way to the airport later in the day. Feeling highly productive after leaving our luggage in a locker, and purchasing four bus tickets to the airport, we braved the rain once more, and moved in the direction of the Jewish Quarter.

Wandered a while; hum-ing and ha-ing about whether to visit the Jewish Museum (we decided against it in the end, as it felt quite expensive after other attractions we'd enjoyed), and ooh-ing and aah-ing at pretty buildings. 

(rungs missing from the ladder to stop people climbing up to the roof in search of the Golem..)

It seems that no matter where you are in Prague, you always find yourself back at the river. On this occasion, we crossed over yet another new bridge, taking us back to the Lesser Town where we hoped we might find a drink stop. Crowds of tourists kept driving us on, and before we knew it we were crossing the Charles Bridge one last time, and headed back again to the Old Town.

As the rain got progressively heavier, we decided it was a good opportunity to find a drink, so when we stumbled upon a pub with self-serve beer taps at the tables, we were set. Stayed a while, enjoying our drinks and slightly unusual atmosphere before making a move to find food ('linner').

Mostly happy with our food selection on Day 1 (oh, the pickled cheese..), we returned to Kolkovna, this time to a branch nearer the station. Here I enjoyed my final schnitzel, Sarah had wild boar with gingerbread dumplings, Stuart had a leg of goose, and Clair went for one more helping of goulash. Great excitement then ensued when we realised that the restaurant was serving the mystical 'mixed beer' looking all Insta-worthy.

The walk back to the station was without a map, as by this point streets and landmarks had familiarity. Our bus journey to the airport was straightforward, and the airport process itself was so simple that we were able to sit in a pub enjoying yet more mixed beers, and playing a final game of Catan.

Prague, it was a great pleasure. I'll definitely be back one day (perhaps with sturdier shoes for excessive cobble action..)!