Tag: travelling

Iceland

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Road trip of a life time: 5 days in Iceland

Celebrating our ten year wedding anniversary in Iceland….. lets do it!

The trip that was planned for 2021 but covid happened and baby number two happened. We had booked our trip to Iceland (planned and paid for) in 2021, however, sadly due to covid restrictions, we had to cancel our plans. When we realised that we could no longer explore Iceland, we decided it’s a good time to have baby number two and she arrived in November 2021. After her arrival it took us a few years (3 years) to save and be ready for our Iceland trip. With our ten year wedding anniversary fast approaching, I thought it would be a brilliant time to mark it with a trip to Iceland.

A little bit about Iceland:

Location: A Nordic island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean, just below the Arctic Circle.

Capital: Reykjavík (also the largest city).

Population: About 380,000 people.

Language: Icelandic.

Currency: Icelandic króna (ISK).

Geography: Known for dramatic landscapes—volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, lava fields, glaciers, and black sand beaches.

Tourism Highlights: The Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, Northern Lights, Vatnajökull Glacier, and countless waterfalls and natural wonders.

Fun Fact: It’s one of the most eco-friendly countries in the world, with almost 100% of its electricity coming from renewable sources.

Day 1

Traveling to Iceland with our two backpacks and one cabin bag was a breeze. We didn’t have to check in any luggage and we were travelling light so going through security and onto the plane was completely hassle free. It was a considerably different to our EDT – Extreme Day Trip to Alicante flight last month (which you can find in another post)!  We watched a beautiful sunrise to kick start our travels. Getting out of the airport was really quick too. Since we knew exactly where we were going, the main agenda was to get our car from the car hire company and get comfy in the car! Once settled in the car, we decided to stop off at the local supermarket to get milk, cereal, fruit and other bits and pieces. We thought this would save us a fortune over the next few days and it totally did.

We went from Reykjavik to golden circle which included Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir), Gulfoss and Geysir. We then stopped off at Fridheimar where we had the most delicious food, pasta and unlimited tomato soup!

We then did a quick stop off at Kerid before heading over to our accommodation. The accommodation was amazing and included a spotless kitchen, lots of shoe dryers, a sauna/hot tub and ample places to relax and unwind.

Day 2

We started the day bright and yearly and had our cereal/milk that we purchased the day before. We met a lovely family from America who we got chatting to. We discussed how travel changes after having kids and what they got up to. This was the first time I ever stayed in a hostel and i loved the experience of speaking to strangers and chatting about what they have been up to and enjoyed about the country! Definitely something I would consider when travelling in the future.

This was a very wet but wonderful day of admiring waterfalls! We saw the following waterfalls:

Seljalandsfoss/ Glufrabui and Skogafoss / Kvernufoss

After seeing these waterfalls, we headed over to the Plane Wreckage Solheimasandur Crash Site. This involved a 2 hour hike (there and back). We could have got the bus which cost around £15 pp, but since it stopped raining we thought we would get our steps in. I had not seen anything like it before so it was a different kind of experience. It was reassuring to know, no one was hurt or lost their lives when the crash happened.

We then headed over to the infamous Vikurfjara black sand beach and luckily the sun came out just in time! It made the experience so much better as we really got to take in the beautiful surroundings.

We then decided to to a last minute stop to Dyrholaey which really allowed us to absorb our surroundings!

We ended the night in Vik at Black crust pizza which cost us…. £66!! Ps. Iceland is expensive!!

Day 3

My goodness me, my favourite place Fjadrargljufur was also filmed in the series ‘Games of Thrones’! Despite being drenched in rain, the views were spectacular. The start of this journey did break my heart though. We saw a mum hit and shout at her child – we assume that he didn’t take her photo how she desired. I was tempted to get out of the car and say something but they ran to their coach and left.

We then stopped over randomly at this church! In Iceland you will come across lots of little, unusual places that are just beautiful in terms of the landscape and natural beauty.

We then went to Svinafellsjokull where my jaw quite literally hit the ground as I was in awe with what I saw. I had never seen glaciers and this particular moment will stay with me forever. I bumped into a guy who I started chatting to and we both spent ages chatting about how stunning Iceland is. He was travelling with his friends and they were doing a road trip all around Iceland!

By the time we got to the ‘diamond beach’ we were completely wet, head to toe!

When we got to the hotel, I was desperate to see the Northern Lights. I am happy to report, I saw a tiny glimpse! However, I must say, I now understand when they say ‘they are not that visible with a naked eye’.

Day 4

Ice cave tour and Snowmobiling on a glacier: A day of adrenaline and adventure! We paid a fortune for this trip but feel like it was totally worth it as it was everything and more. As we arrived, the guy greeted us with ‘Asalam Alaikum’ and explained that he has visited lots of Muslim countries and noticed me in my Hijab. I thought it was really sweet of him to greet us with that. This trip was truly fantastic from start to finish and definitely one to remember. We felt so lucky to be there and to experience it together.

There was a family of five with us on the snowmobile tour and we were surprised to see a 7 year old doing the snowmobiling tour. As we headed down, the organisers announced that the 7 year old had come out of the snowmobile! Fortunately he was okay and not injured, however, understandably he was too scared to get back on.

Following our adventures, we came across another unusual waterfall which required us to hike for around 30 minutes there and 30 minutes back. However, I really struggled due to being exhausted! This would have been a beautiful hike, but one that I do regret slightly.

Luckily we made it just in time back to Vik to taste some delicious soup and pasta! Following our full bellies, we continued driving towards Reykjavík.

Day 5

We woke up to an amazing hot shower and a house smelling of fresh waffles! The host makes waffles every day and serves them fresh to all the visitors. There’s a range or syrups, honey and chocolate sauce as well as home made rhubarb jam.

We went straight to explore Reykjavík and wandered around drinking coffees, eating pastries and exploring all the incredible murals and street art. Street art is probably one of my favourite things to do in cities. We even saw a huge mural dedicated to Palestine. It was amazing to see that so much space, time and effort was given to this incredibly important cause. As we were starting to get hungry, we came across a Palestinain restaurant that served halal chicken. We knew we had to eat here and ended up ordering our lunch.

We then headed straight over to Blue Lagoon which exceeded our expectations. The journey there was out of this world. I know there had been a volcanic eruption recently and the roads still had smoke coming out of it!! Despite being super busy, it was really well organised and managed. We opted to purchase the package where we had 3 face masks and two free drinks. This was great fun as we enjoyed how interactive it was. We could have stayed here all day as it was incredibly beautiful and serene. However, we wanted to leave in good time to catch our flight.

Landed at 10.30, arrived home for 11.15pm

Tips

Take a flask and tea bags

Pre- book any excursions and plan your itinerary around it

Stop at a supermarket to get snacks/breakfast

Take an extra rain coat

You don’t need change unless you want to tip people.

Summary

Walked 90,000

Drove 842 miles 

Cost breakdown

Flights £210.62

Accommodation £563

Ice cave/snowmobiling £733

Car hire/car insurance £550

Petrol £173.61

Spending , food etc) £300+

Parking £50.35

Total £2,600 (might have spent a bit more here and there including taxi etc)

If you made it this far, thank you! I hope you found this blogpost useful. If you want to know where we stayed, which car rental place we used or who we booked the excursions with, I am happy for you to contact me! I have lots more photos and a reel on Instagram if you want to check it out!

Alicante: A ‘date day’ in Spain!

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One of the best impulsive decisions of the year so far. Ahmed and I hadn’t had a “date day” in months, so when I saw that there was an opportunity for an ‘extreme day trip’ to Spain, I had to welcome it with open arms. We don’t have a ‘village’ to raise our children as both our parents live far. However, my parents were visiting this weekend and I had to maximise having child care and decided to book flights to Spain to have a ‘date day in Alicante’!

What an eventful day it was from start to finish. Everything went smooth sailing in the morning, from parking the car to going through security. Once we sat on our allocated seats and buckled up, I was excited that within a few hours I’d be soaking up the sun… until I heard some chaos coming from the front of the plane. I looked up and realised there was some arguing and shouting as a female was being escorted off the plane! Everyone, as expected was trying to figure out what was happening. We didn’t have to figure out for too long as Ahmed was sitting at the front and I text him to see what was going on. In his texts, he explained that a drunk couple got into a fight and were swearing at one another despite being told to calm down a few times. This led to almost two hours of delay as we had to wait for the police to take them away!

As I got off the plane, I realised Ahmed had already gone to queue up without me.. Great date day you say, you’re not kidding (yes, I am being passive aggressive). I ended up waiting in the queue for over 30 minutes. This was kind of a crazy experience for me as I was the ONLY person of colour and the only person wearing a hijab. Not going to lie, I felt on edge and apprehensive as this was the first time I really felt ‘different’. The machines took forever at security and I cannot help but wonder if it’s because I look completely different to my passport photos. In my passport photo, my hair is down and I am not wearing glasses. Whereas now I usually rock glasses and a hijab.

Now that my stories are out of the way (for now), let’s get to the things to do. As soon as you get out of the airport, grab the bus on the right hand side called C6 and it takes you directly into old Alicante which is where we wanted to be.

We got off at the marina and this is how our day went!

  • Walk through the marina
  • Then a casual stroll through Passeig Esplanada d’Espanya admiring the beautiful floor/tiles
  • We then headed over to the infamous “mushroom street” which is pretty cute and unusual
  • Our next stop was Barrio De Santa Cruz where you see the most gorgeous homes, decorated with beautiful tiles and colourful pots hanging around. At this point I wish I had listened to my gut and stopped for a drink but I didn’t
  • We ended up climbing to Castell de Santa Bàrbera which is a bit of a hike! You can get a lift from near the marina but since we were already enroute we decided to keep going. Once at the top they have a lovely Cafe with panoramic views, icecreams etc. We sat down and sipped on cold drinks and enjoyed an ice cream.
  • We then walked down and walked aimlessly for a few minutes before sitting down for some Spanish cuisine.

Yep, time for another story. As I went to sat down the waiter asked “where are you from”. This question always gets me, do you mean the place I live or my heritage? Anyways, long story short he told me he was from Kashmir. Of course the second he said Kashmir, my heart skipped and I asked “where exactly from in Kashmir?”. When he replied “Mirpur” I couldn’t believe it. How are we meeting someone from Kashmir in the middle of Alicante! We carried on talking and he told me about the village he was from. UNBELIEVABLE, it’s a neighbouring village of ours and this guy used to play volleyball with an uncle of mine. I mean, what are the chances?! He knows all my family members and neither of us could get over this beautiful connection! The world really is small.

  • Of course we opted for some tapas and paella!

Post food, we decided to stroll around the beach to burn off some calories and digest all the carbs we consumed. It’s such a lovely beach and has a small play area for kids. I really missed the kids at this point as I was full of guilt that we came without them – I was soon reminded it was a good decision as I heard some kids screaming in the background! If we do bring the kids next time, it would definitely need to be an overnight trip so they can really enjoy the beach and their surroundings.

After the stroll, we were really quite tired. We had walked over 20,000 steps and had been up since 3am. We went back to a Cafe we had come across at the beginning of the day called “Santagloria”. It was honestly the most relaxing and chilled couple of hours. We ordered coffees, fresh orange juice and a range of desserts to share. We people watched, read our books and took it all in.

We grabbed the C6 which took us straight to the airport. The airport experience was a breeze Alhamdulillah. We went straight through without any hassle or drama.

As we were boarding the plane, I noticed a family with four young kids and lots of bags. We were flying with RyanAir, who have a reputation of being super strict with the size of the luggage. The staff members made this couple unpack and pack multiple times and told them they needed to pay. I don’t know if I was overtired or over emotional but I found that so difficult to witness and felt a sense of helplessness. I tried to interject and support them with the packing, but they had too much luggage and ended up waiting till the end to speak to staff. Note to self, either pay for luggage or pack lightly.

While we were waiting, a guy came along in a wheel chair and I noticed he had two prosthetic legs. His hoody said “I’m really tired but I’m trying to be really brave about it”. I don’t know, I guess this is one of my favourite things about traveling. It humbles you and makes you realise how everyone “does life differently” and is tested differently too.

Paris, France

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Recently there was a trend called #metmyyoungerselfforcoffee, of course I couldn’t resist and jumped right on it. The process made me reflect on my past and the older version of me. I realised how spontaneous, carefree and adventurous I used to be in my younger days. Somewhere along the way, I naturally lost parts of me. Only to find a new version of myself, which I realised was still spontaneous but perhaps a little more risk averse, but a whole lot more resilient and appreciative. I guess that happens when you become a mother, it happens when you’re faced with anxiety and other life responsibilities. I digress, the point being that this little trend reminded me of that young woman full of life, hopes and dreams. I’m pleased to see that 10 years later I still hold onto those parts of me.

We’re getting there, don’t worry. Just before the new year, I was chatting to my friend about the prospect of doing a “Day trip” abroad. Of course she was completely up for it and we wasted no time before booking a cheap £50 return flight from Manchester to Paris. All we needed now was to get our husbands to have the children so we didn’t need to worry about arranging childcare. Now to me, this is pretty spontaneous and I love that neither of us hesitated to make the most of this opportunity.

I can’t quite believe I am saying this, but we had zero plans! This was a first for me as I usually always go with an itinerary but on this trip, I was just really looking forward to having no plans and no pressure. All we knew was that we wanted to see the Eiffel Tower and eat pastry.

My friend stayed over at mine and we woke up bright and early (3.30am) to catch our flight at 6.55. Getting through security and to our gate was a breeze. A very short flight to Paris (Beauvais) and we were ready to travel another hour or so into Paris. We headed out straight to the bus stop to catch a bus to the town centre to get the train into Paris. You can be more organised than us and book the train in advance from an app called “Omio”. I can’t write about our journey without mentioning the lovely Jordan. He was waiting to get on the bus and we started chatting about our plans. He reassured us that we were at the right stop as he had done lots of research before coming. Unlike us, his mum told him he can’t leave until he had booked everything and organised all the transport! Jordan explained this was his first solo trip and he was hoping watch a football game in Paris and do a Vlog about it. He kept us company all the way into Paris. Meeting people like Jordan is always one of my favourite part of travelling. He was so polite, considerate and kind. His mama’s raised him well!

The only plan we had was to go to Carrett for their famous hot choc. There are two Carrett branches and we ended up at 25 place des Vosges, which is around an hours walk from Eiffel tower! I am kind of glad we accidentally ended up here as the architecture and setting was just beautiful.  We ordered the famous hot choc and French onion soup, both of which were amazing. 

We decided to get an uber to Eiffel Tower as we didn’t want to spend time walking due to it being a day trip. It was a fabulous decision as we got to see Notre-Dame from the comfort of the car (it was pouring it down outside). We got dropped off right next to Eiffel Tower! We took some photos and bought some Eiffel Tower key rings and carried on walking towards Montmartre. Once we got there, we popped into the local book shop, bought an umbrella from a pharmacy and enjoyed walking around the beautiful streets, full of character. We walked up lots of steps to check out Sacré-Cœur Basilica which has panoramic views of the city.

From there we decided to check out the Louvre and ended up getting another Uber. At this point, it really was chucking it down so we ended up at a café. We spent over an hour drinking tea, eating crepes and reading/sketching. This was probably my favourite part of the day as it was everything I had imagined Paris to be. We were sat watching strangers dance in the rain as the live music was playing next to them.

We got so lost in the moment that we realised that getting an Uber to the airport would be the quickest way. But we couldn’t go back without grabbing some pastries. So we found a cosy little bakery, grabbed some pastries and enjoyed them when we got to the airport!

Sorry no hacks or tips other than; don’t let the rain spoil it for you, uber it if it makes your life easier. Eat the pastry and soak in your surroundings. Dress for comfort not show as Paris is HUGE and you’ll be doing A LOT of walking! 

PS, this is your reminder to be spontaneous and that it is possible to do a ‘day trip to Paris’.

We also made everything mega easy by using just one bank card and used the ‘split’ option on Monzo. That way there was no confusion and we split everything in the middle. If you don’t already have a Monzo account, go get it! It’s honestly been so easy to transfer to friends and split bills. Here’s a referral code which can get you and me some money:

https://join.monzo.com/c/6rv8jl3

Episode 23: Travel talk with my Pal

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Shamila takes us on a journey from Europe to India to the Philippines and so much more. Her love and enthusiasm for travel is inspiring as well as admirable. She has not allowed any barriers or challenges to stop her from exploring the world which is a credit to her. 
We talk about cuisines, man made border, her ethnic identity and so much more. 
A really beautiful and wholesome conversation with one of my favourite humans I am lucky enough to call my friend!


Shamila’s Instagram: 
https://www.instagram.com/shamilaxo?igsh=a25mb2Y3dnNrZ2lk
Please subscribe, comment and share the podcast!

Episode 21: Tasha in your pocket (1) social anxiety

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A few of my friends referred to my podcast as “Tasha in my pocket” so it only felt right to name this episode that. I decided to be spontaneous and try something new by “walking and talking”. On this episode I share a couple of life updates, reflections, thoughts and everything in between. Think of it a bit like an extended voice note from a friend. Please do let me know if you love it or hate it. As always, any comments, observations or advice is much appreciated 🤍

Episode 18: My Nana Mary

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Sharing a story of a remarkable woman who I am lucky enough to be related to. A very personal, raw and honest conversation with my grandma. We talk about so many important topics including interracial marriage, having a child with Down Syndrome in the 1970’s, mental health and her road trip to Pakistan in the 1970’s. I am in awe of how much my Nana has been through in her life. Despite her challenges in life, her sense of humour makes everything seem fun and joyful.

Episode 13: Zainib from Race Across the World!

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In today’s episode, I was joined by the wonderful Zainib from Race Across the World. I slid into her DMs on Instagram and, to my surprise, she agreed to have a chinwag with me! I’m forever grateful to Zainib for agreeing to join me – talk about getting a self esteem boost! 
We had such a natural, wholesome and unedited conversation. We discussed
a range of topics, including her experience on Race Across the World, infertility, her love for Gabor Maté, (me oversharing as per usual), self-care and Zainib’s job as a Consultant within the Mental Health sector. 
I hope you enjoy listening to it!

Episode 8: Inspiring the youth at 13

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Chatting to my 13 year old baby cousin (at her request). She talks about her accomplishments since starting secondary school less than 2 years ago. We talked about bullying, identity and much more. Super proud of the young person she is becoming!
Her Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/bakingwithmomna?igsh=MWE0eGh6emxrdDhrZw==

Barcelona

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I want to begin by sharing a little back story around this city break to Barcelona.

When it came to writing about Barcelona, as soon as I started to put pen to paper, or shall we say fingers to the keyboard, I realised how special the trip to Barcelona was for me and always will be. My mum and I had planned to go to Barcelona with our friends to celebrate their new beginnings, but sadly they could not join us. Devastated by this news, we suddenly found ourselves being unsure about whether we should still go ahead with the trip. It wouldn’t have been the same without our friends as we were used to spending at least one weekend together every year. After much contemplation, we decided to go ahead with the trip as everything was already paid for and we knew we would make up for the lost time.

The trip to Barcelona took place in September 2017. This was a time where my life truly was a little ‘all over the place’. I had just left my job and family home in Newcastle as I was moving to Manchester to be with Ahmed. My Mum and I flew out on a Thursday evening and returned on the Sunday. The following Monday I started a new job, a new role, in a new city! At the time Ahmed and I did not have an accommodation secured in Manchester so it meant living in a hotel for a few days when I got back. In some ways the trip to Barcelona was the perfect ice breaker with my new colleagues. As well as an insane plan!

Since our friends were unable to come with us, it meant that this was the first time me and my Mum travelled anywhere on our own! I was petrified to say the least to be honest as we both have zero sense of direction when it comes to travelling as I usually have Ahmed to rely on.

However, at the same time the trip felt like a lot of new beginnings. A trip on my own with my Mum, moving to a new city and starting a new job. So much to look forward to despite the unknown.

When we went to Barcelona I had no idea I would start a blog in time to come. But I have put together a brief itinerary of the places we visited while we were there. But most importantly sharing this precious journey with anyone reading this 🙂

Flights: £109.98 return flights for two people with Ryanair. Absolute BARGAIN!

Accommodation: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/14423551?_set_bev_on_new_domain=1612273351_OGRjMzRiZTk5YjE4&source_impression_id=p3_1612273352_O5lOU5NvsdjZWVnG

Please see Link above for our accommodation. We split the cost between four people so it worked out okay for us. The place was really quirky and spotless. They provided us with milk, bottled water, juice tea etc.

This was an amazing location as we walked down the street to get the tram into the city centre! Super quick and easy 🙂

Day 1

La Rambla: We woke up super fresh and went straight out for some breakfast. Walking down the La Rambla, absorbing our surroundings. La Rambla is a street in central Barcelona and was completely heaving with tourists and most likely locals too. We found it to be an easy stroll that can be done at any time of day. Unfortunately, you do need to be on your guard against pickpockets on this popular stretch though! There are tonnes of restaurants and cafes located in this area. We tried out a couple of them during or visit and were impressed about the affordability and service.

La Sagrada Familia: After exploring La Rambla we decided to head over to the see the awe-inspiring La Sagrada Famila, a large unfinished Roman Catholic cathedral. This beautiful building was designed by Antoni Gaudi (the renowned Catalan architect) and it ended becoming his biggest obsession.

Can you believe this beautiful cathedral has been under construction for more than 100 years and attracts over 2.5 million visitors per year?

Park Guell: Park Guell is an enormous garden with gorgeous and distinct architectural elements designed by Gaudi. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 and is a place that is definitely worth all the hype that it receives.

It was easy enough to get there, however,  it was a fairly steep walk, uphill all the way and took at least 15 mins (probably more). So it might be worth considering getting a taxi there.

 Point to note: We made a huge mistakes: we didn’t pre-purchase tickets. Tickets have timed slots and limited numbers so it was completely sold out by the time we got there. So we only go to explore the outside of the park. I still thought it was worth the journey as the park was like no other that I have been to!

Day 2

Casa Batllo: I thought I had seen it all in terms of architecture, but I was so wrong! Casa Batlló is a building in the centre of Barcelona. It was designed by Antoni Gaudí, and is considered one of his masterpieces. As soon as we arrived at Casa Batllo, we were immediately reminded of what a genius Gaudi was. His work and imagination was truly unique in every way, shape and form. I have not seen architecture or buildings like it anywhere in the world.

Top tip: Book the tickets in advance! Once again we made the mistake of not booking the tickets earlier and by the time we arrived, the queues were so long it put us off from waiting to purchase them. We wanted to explore some more of Barcelona so ended up getting some cold drinks and wandering in the gorgeous streets of Barcelona for an hour or so!

We never got to see the inside of this amazing building. Perhaps a reason to return to Barcelona?!

Palau de la musica catalana (Palace of Catalan Music): The most beautiful concert hall in the world! I kid you not. In a city filled with incredible architectural masterpieces by Gaudi, I would not be surprised if people have not heard of this stunning piece of architecture.  This beautiful concert hall was built in the early 1900s and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

We paid for a guided tour of this beautiful building and were so impressed by the experience. The tour was well presented and well priced! We would highly recommend seeing this place for yourself!

Caterdral de Barcelona: From Palau de la Musica, we made our way to the Cathedral of Barcelona. We entered the Gothic Quarter district which is one of the oldest and most beautiful districts in Barcelona. It is home to lots of little restaurants and shops.

We ended the trip with some delicious Paella and discussing my crazy plan to live in a hotel for a few days and starting a new job! I could not have asked for better company and weekend before starting a new chapter in my life.

Barcelona was the perfect getaway! It offered great public transport, stunning architecture, city life, and the best part: delicious food. A city trip of about 3-4 days would be enough to cover most of the highlights. I have only shared some of the things you can do during a Barcelona city trip.

Italy

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Milan

Hotel Marconi

(+) The location was around 10 mins away from the Milan Central station which made it extremely convenient. The hotel was surrounded by that of restaurants and cafes, not to mention a rather decent restaurant almost next to the hotel. The breakfast was included with the room and had a variety of things such as eggs, pastry, fruit, yogurt and cake.

(-) The property was old fashioned and out dated and over priced for what it was. No doubt the facilities were clean, but just needed modernisation. The minibar was extremely overpriced, as we ended up paying 12,50 euros for a small bottle of water! Talk about Daylight robbery!

marconi

Florence

Maison Bianca B&B

(+) You couldn’t go wrong with the location and the hospitality was amazing. It is just round the corner from Santa Lucia station, it took us 10 mins to get to the bed and breakfast. Even though it was considerably late in the evening, Giorgio was waiting for us at the entrance (even though the reception closed at 5 pm). Exceptional customer service. The breakfast spread was decent with a variety of cakes and tarts, and tea/coffee. The property was We had asked for the taxi to be booked for an early train and Giorgio made of point of personally being present early to make sure we got a taxi.

(-) We didn’t expect the property to be in a building (on the 5th floor of an apartment building). To be fair there were other B&Bs in the building as well.

Riomaggiore

Scorci Di Mare

(+) Firstly, the customer service was amazing. Not only were we able to check in earlier than we were expected to, we were given a brief about Cinque Terre, with print outs of train and bus schedules, and maps of the village and the region. The location couldn’t have been better – we were right at the harbour area and the views from the room window were breathtaking. It was a pleasant surprise that we have tea and coffee (and a kettle!) in the room. A couple of bottles of water and juice (and biscuits) were also provided free of charge. The bed was comfortable and facing the windows, which was great. Ample towels were provided and the cleanliness was immaculate. The rooms and bathroom was heated (and we didn’t expect a washing machine!)

(-) The room that we had booked was the sea view double – but we strongly recommend that you book the higher room with the terrace: reason being, because of the wooden floors and the stairs outside, it got noisy when guests in the higher room even moved around or used the stairs. There was a frosted window in the room (over the stairs) which lit up the room when someone lit the lights in stairs.