Europe – Maldo Travels

Windsor Castle – Historic Royal Home

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 19:50:00 +0000

Known to be a popular residence of the current monarchy, Windsor Castle is a large complex that is open to the general public. By car, it takes about an hour to get there from London. There are plenty of paid car parks in the area, but it tends to get very busy in the summer so there’s more traffic and difficult to find a parking spot. Another option is to go by train which takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes. The train station is a short and pleasant 10-minute walk away from the castle.

Tickets can be booked online for a specific time slot and the booking process will note any restrictions on the day. You must book online to be able to visit and booking directly is the cheapest option. The ticket also comes with an audio guide that can be set to several different languages. As you walk throughout the site, you’ll see numbered signs that you can enter into the audio guide. This is a great way to learn about the history of the many different areas in the castle. It is also possible to book private and group tours if you prefer. The grounds are very well kept and all areas are very well signposted so it’s easy to find your way around. You can visit the different gardens and several different state apartments with many different things on display.

It’s easy to spend a full day here as there are so many places to visit. There are also activities for kids and a couple of cafes to grab something to eat. As you head towards the exit, you’ll pass by St George’s Chapel which is full of history. The Chapel is normally closed on Sundays for service, and you should check if it is open on the day you plan to visit as it’s a beautiful place. At the exit, there is also a soldier of the Queen’s Guard stationed in a booth. A small area is cordoned off and the guard will occasionally step out of his booth and march up and down the cordoned-off area. After leaving Windsor Castle, you can explore the town which has lots of restaurants and the riverside is especially popular. There are rowboats for rent and many ducks and swans floating on the river. Overall, it’s a great day trip from London to a place that’s full of history.

Botany Bay – Beautiful Sandy Beach

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 06:41:00 +0000

It’s possible to take public transport to this destination, but you need to first take a train to either Broadstairs or Margate and then take a bus to Botany Bay. From London, it’ll take around 2 hours and 30 minutes, depending on where in London you’re departing from. It’s much easier to get there by car since it’s a 1-hour 45-minute drive if there’s no traffic. However, this beach is very popular in the summer, so it’s best to leave in the early morning to get a decent parking spot near the beach.

The Botany Bay area is very residential and depending on where you’ve managed to park, you’ll likely have to walk along the cliff to one of the beach entrances. You’ll get some spectacular views of the sea and beach from this walk. There’s a free toilet and changing area at one of the main entrances, it’s not very big nor well kept though. If it’s a busy summer’s day, then there will probably be a long queue as well.

The beach itself is quite small, but it’s a sandy beach which is quite rare in the UK, hence its popularity. It’s also rather unique given the white chalk cliffs that border it. The cliffs make for great photo opportunities and are also great to walk along since they have great viewpoints of the beach. When we went in September, the weather was in the high 20s to 30s, but the water was still icy cold. Overall, it’s a great beach that’s close enough to London for a day trip.

Seven Sisters – Scenic White Cliffs

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 17:08:00 +0000

The closest towns to the cliffs are Seaford and Eastbourne. Both have train stations with services from London and the train ride is about 2 hours. We decided to go to Seaford by car and it’s also a 2-hour drive. It’s quite a popular tourist site so the car park by the seaside can get full very quickly. There are a couple of stalls at the stone beach for snacks, drinks, and ice cream. It was quite chilly when we went, so there weren’t many people in the sea since it was freezing cold. There’s a path along the stone beach lined with colorful beach huts which makes for a nice walk.

The path leads to the start of the trail at Seaford Head West that goes towards the white cliffs. The walk up the cliff is quite steep so it’s a little tiring. The rest of the trail is easier though and fairly flat. There are no barriers on the cliff edges and there are warning signs throughout the trail stating that ground on the cliff edge can be unstable. So it’s best to stay clear from it and always keep an eye on children. There are some great views along the trail though, and you can pick up some of the white chalk rocks along the way.

We walked along the trail for about an hour until we got to a viewpoint of the Seven Sisters white cliffs. From this viewpoint, you get a panoramic view of the rolling cliffs. You can continue along the trail to get to the Seven Sisters cliffs, but we decided to turn back to Seaford to have time for a quick stop in Brighton that is only a 30-minute drive away.

Porto – Historic Coastal City

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 06 Sep 2020 23:48:00 +0000

Our flight back to London departed from Porto in the evening, so we got to Porto at around 11.45 AM to explore the city. We found a car park near the Câmara Municipal do Porto. There’s a large plaza with several cafes and restaurants in the area. We walked around the area for a bit and then headed for lunch at Kind Kitchen which had excellent vegan options.

Following lunch, we walked down to the river to cross the bridge Ponte Luís I. The roads leading there were narrow and filled with colonial buildings. We also stepped into São Bento Station where the walls at the entrance are decorated with beautiful mosaic tiles. We also passed many old churches and the Cathedral Sé do Porto which is at the top of the cliff near the bridge. You can cross the iconic metal bridge which has pedestrian walkways on either side.

The interesting thing about this bridge is that the tram passes over it rather than local traffic which makes it great to walk across. The bridge is very high up and has great views of the river and the city. It took us about 10 minutes to cross the bridge and on the other side, there’s a cable car which goes down to the riverside. Tickets cost 6 EUR one-way and 9 EUR for return which was a bit pricy so we decided to walk back across the bridge. On the way back, we took a small detour via Jardim Marques de Oliveira and took a little break at a nearby cafe. We then headed back to the car park to make our way to the airport to catch our flight back to London.

Portugal – Towns, Mountains and Lakes

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 14:26:00 +0000

On our trip to Portugal, we stayed at a friend’s family’s place in Canas de Senhorim which is about a 1-hour 45-minute drive from Porto where we landed. There are several car rental companies within walking distance from the airport and our friend normally rents from Drive & Go. The drive to Canas de Senhorim is beautiful as we pass by mountain landscapes along winding roads. We were staying here for about a week and we did some grocery shopping in the bigger town of Nelas which is a short 10-minute drive away. For eating out in restaurants, we headed to the city of Viseu which was a 30-minute drive away. For activities, the Serra da Estrela national park is close by as well as several small towns.

Praia da Lagoa Comprida

It took us about a 1-hour drive to get to this lake in Serra da Estrela and the route is very scenic as we climb the mountains along winding roads. There are a couple of small mountainside towns on the way before reaching the car park which is next to the dam at the lake. There’s a small shop/cafe here and you can walk along the dam for some great pictures. The lake is huge and there were a couple of groups of people sunbathing by the lake. We found a spot on one of the large boulders by the lake and went for a swim. The weather was great when we went with 30-degree temperatures but the lake was still quite cold which made for a refreshing swim. After doing some swimming, we went for a walk around the lake and there are many large boulders that would be great for bouldering. Overall, it was a great place to spend a relaxing afternoon.

Viseu

One of the main attractions in this city is Sé Catedral de Viseu which dates back to the 12th century. Entrance to the cathedral and adjacent square which has some iconic tile artwork is free, but you can also pay to visit the museum which goes through very old buildings. The architecture and stonework of the cathedral appear to be untouched which allows you to appreciate the history in this place. Across the main plaza, you can find the newer Igreja da Misericórdia de Viseu. Next to this church, you can find a viewpoint that looks over the city. We walked around the stone-tiled city which has several shops in its high streets and ended up at Jardim da Ribeira. There is a funicular here which goes up to Igreja da Misericórdia de Viseu, but the highlight at this time of year was the Feira de São Mateus. This yearly event takes place at the end of August and the beginning of September. There were many funfair games, food stalls, and a stage with live music. One of the iconic foods was the farturas which were being sold everywhere. These were very tasty and are similar to churros but much larger.

Mangualde

This was one of the bigger towns close to Canas de Senhorim. The highlight here is the Live Beach which is an artificial beach. It’s a great place to relax with beach chairs and parasols available for hire. There is also a bar/restaurant, a kids area, and a football pitch in the sand. After going for a swim, you can head to the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Castelo which is at the top of a hill and makes for a great viewpoint. You can either drive up to the parking area or walk up some steps. There’s also a restaurant there which is famous for serving a snail dish.

Lisboa – City Sites and the Beach

Jean Maldonado — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 23:45:00 +0000

From Canas de Senhorim, it was about a 2-hour 40 -minute scenic drive through mountains and valleys. The highways are great and once in the city, the roads become very hilly and narrow. Our rental was automatic which made driving in the hilly city much easier. We found a car park near Castelo de São Jorge and then walked to Praça da Figueira to have some breakfast. We found a great restaurant that has a tasty vegan menu.

After breakfast, we walked uphill for about 30 minutes to Castelo de São Jorge. We went through stone-tiled roads and several building walls were decorated with iconic tiles. There were also great views of the city on the way. The castle complex is quite large and we walked the perimeter of its walls. We didn’t go inside though and headed to a viewpoint instead. It was about a 25-minute walk to Miradouro da Graça. This is a great spot for unobstructed views of the city and the iconic suspension bridge Ponte 25 de Abril. There are several tables and chairs with parasols here where you can order snacks and drinks. We took a break here for about 30 mins before heading back to the car park. When we got back, we came from the top and found that the car park rooftop was also a great viewpoint of the city. It was about 1.30 PM now so we headed to the beach at Sesimbra.

It was about a 1-hour drive with some traffic getting out of the city. As we arrived at the beach, we got a wonderful elevated view of the sea driving down winding roads. We found a car park a short walk away from the beach. There are several bars along the beach and private spots with parasols that you can rent. There are also plenty of public areas where you can set yourself up. The beach is sandy and stretches for miles. There are cliffs at the far end and it’s a very beautiful place. We chilled here for about 3 hours before heading back to Lisbon for dinner.

There was a lot more traffic on the way back, especially crossing the bridge so it took us about 1-hour 30 minutes. We made a stop at Torre de Belém before heading for dinner in the city. The riverside is a beautiful walk, especially at sunset. You get a great view of the suspension bridge and Santuário de Cristo Rei as well. We headed for dinner at around 7.30 PM and then drover back to Canas de Senhorim.

Douro Valley – Famous Wine Country

Jean Maldonado — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 17:01:48 +0000

There are many tours available online and one of the most popular ones are the river cruises with wine tours. We mainly wanted to go for a wine tasting and having been before in Argentina, I remember a visit to a single winery being enough and that it was cheaper buying directly with the winery. After some online research, we decided to go to a winery in Peso da Régua which was a popular spot. We were staying at Canas de Senhorim and it was only a 1-hour 10-minute drive. From Porto, it’s a slightly longer 1-hour 20-minute drive. Although Porto has several agencies offering a range of Douro Valley tours which may be more convenient.

After looking up wineries in Peso da Régua, we decided to go with Quinta da Pacheca. They had reasonable prices for the wine tasting tours with an English speaking guide. Our wine tour was scheduled for 3 PM so we set out at around 12.30 PM. The drive itself is very scenic as it crosses mountains and valleys along winding roads. There are several parking options available in the town although the ones by the river tend to fill up quickly. We managed to find a spot by the river and then went for a walk along the riverside. The landscape views here are incredible as you get to see the terraced vineyards on the slopes of the banks on the other side of the river. The river cruises stop/depart from the banks of this river. The large cruises had already set out but there was a small boat that offered a 50-minute river tour for 10 EUR¹. We walked around the hilly town for a bit before getting back in the car to cross the river to get to our wine tour.

Quinta de Pacheca has a large complex with vineyards, buildings for winemaking, and a hotel with unique barrel rooms. When we got there, we went sure where the tour began so we went to the hotel reception to ask and they directed us to a building further down the road. The wine tour started promptly and to start with, everyone had to walk through a disinfection barrel that sprays a mist as you walk through. The guide then first took us to the vineyards and gave us some information on how the grapes are grown and the different types of grapes used. Next, we headed into a building where they prepare the harvested grapes. There are large stone deposits where the grapes are kept in and stirred to get the juice from the grapes. The guide told us that during the harvest season, they offer an experience for visitors to collect grapes and then step on them barefoot which was the traditional method. We then continue down some steps to the storage room where the barrels are kept. The guide explains how the wine is stored and aged in this room. After this, we then head outside for the wine tasting. We got to try 5 wines in total; 2 Reds, 1 White, and 2 Ports. The guide explains how each wine was made as he pours them out. We’re also given a menu with a list of the wines and prices for anyone wanting to buy. I enjoyed the Ports and ended up getting 2 bottles to take home. After the tasting, we’re free to roam around the area to take pictures.

We were done at around 5 PM and we decided to cross the river back to Peso da Régua to see if we could get on the river tour we saw earlier. The last one was scheduled to leave at 6 PM so we went into a cafe to wait until then. We were pretty tired so ended up staying at the cafe for a bit longer rather than going on the river tour. At around 6.30 we then went back to the car to head back to Canas de Senhorim.

Peak District – Cycle Trail and Caves

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 21:50:00 +0000

From London, it’s about a 3-hour 30-minute drive to Peak District National Park which makes it ideal for a weekend trip. We headed out on a Friday evening to the small town of Aston just outside Sheffield. On Saturday, we planned to go cycling on a trail. There are several trails in the National Park and we chose to go on the Monsal Trail. This trail used to be a railway track that has been converted for walking and cycling. It’s mostly a dirt and pebble trail but parts of it have been paved. We first drove to Hassop Station which is 45 minutes away from Aston. On our way, we stopped at Bakewell for some brunch at a quaint B&B that had a fireplace. There’s a bike rental shop at Hassop Station and there are different types of bikes for hire starting from 2 hours. We chose to rent a standard adult bike for 2 hours which cost 12 GBP². We set out at 11.45 AM making stops along the way for pictures. The trail ends at Blackwell Mill and we stopped at the last bridge to turn back. When we got back, we were very muddy since the bikes didn’t have mudguards. We cleaned up a bit and then headed back to our Airbnb³ in Aston.

On Sunday, we decided to check out some caves. First, we headed to Speedwell Cavern which was about an hour away from our Airbnb in Aston. We got there at around 12.30 PM and there’s plenty of parking space opposite the entrance. When buying tickets, we saw that there was a discount on a joint ticket with Peak Cavern. We bought the joint ticket for 20 GBP each and then waited about 15 minutes for the next guided tour. A guide then calls us into a room where we pick up a helmet. He goes over the schedule of the tour and begins talking about the history of the cave. We’re then taken down some steps and arrive at the underground river. The cave is very narrow with just enough space for the boat to fit. Everyone gets into the boat and the guide then uses his hands on the ceiling to navigate down the river. On the way, the guide talks about the mining operations that used to happen in the cave and how the miners and children were exploited. After about 15 minutes, we reach the end of the river and get out of the boat into a chamber. There’s a small waterfall inside and the guide says that now you can see the bottom since the miners dumped rocks from their excavations into the hole. The guide then talks about the geography of the cave and we have about 10 minutes to take pictures. We then get back on the boat and head for the exit.

Next, we drove about 5 minutes to the nearby town of Castleton. Peak Cavern is located in this town and there’s no dedicated car park at the site, so you have to find parking in the town. We found a space nearby and it’s a nice walk by the riverside to the cave entrance. We got there at 2.10 PM and a tour had just started so we joined in. The guide was talking about how the site was used to make rope and showed us some of the tools used. We then continue into the cave and the guide mentions that several movies have been filmed in the cave. He also mentions that Queen Victoria once visited the cave and they dug a new passage so she wouldn’t have to crawl. We arrive at a large chamber and the guide talks about the history and geography of the cave. We then head back to the exit. Following our visit, we went for a walk around the town and grabbed some food before making our way back to London.

Kents Cavern – Prehistoric Caves

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 23:02:00 +0000

From our Airbnb¹ in Falmouth, it took 2 hours and 30 minutes to get to the town of Torquay where the caves are located. The drive from Bristol would be around 2 hours and from London, it would be about 4 hours. There’s a car park next to the ticket office and it’s free if you buy a tour. When purchasing a ticket, just let them know you’ve parked there and they’ll ask for your number plate. A guided tour is the only way to visit the caves and it costs 13 GBP² each. We arrived at 10.30 AM and luckily, there was a tour scheduled to start in 10 minutes. Upon entering the cave, the air is quite cool and the guide says the temperature is 14 degrees Celsius all year round inside the cave. We walk into the first chamber for an introductory recorded audiovisual presentation. The tour guide then leads the group through a passageway talking about how the cave was formed and its early history along the way. We then arrive at a chamber where there are several stalactites and stalagmites. The tour guide then tells us about the geology of the cave and we learn how stalactites and stalagmites are formed. Next, the group is taken to another chamber where the tour guide takes out replicas of artifacts found in the cave. Stored in an old wooden chest, he pulls out bones, tools, and a mammoth tooth to show the group whilst giving information on them.

We then continue to another chamber where the guide talks about the ancient humans who once took refuge here. The caves are now all lit with several light bulbs, and the guide says the cave is pitch black where we are. He turns off all the lights for us to experience a complete blackout. He then lights an oyster shell and says how it is believed these were used for light inside the cave. Not much light is emitted from the burning oyster shell compared to the lights bulbs. The final stop is a chamber with an exhibition of the stone age and Victorian excavators. There is also a display of some artifacts found in the cave with information panels. The visit took about an hour and then we headed back to the car for the 2-hour drive back to Bristol.

Lizard Peninsula – Kynance Cove

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 22:44:00 +0000

Going from Bristol, it takes around 4 hours to drive to Kynance Cove. From London, it’s a long drive taking up to 6 hours if you stop for a break. We went on a Bank Holiday weekend so when we arrived at around 1.15 PM, the car park close to Kynance Cove was full, so the staff directed us to an overflow car park a little further away. From the overflow car park, it is about a 20-minute walk to Kynance Cove if you take the direct path. We took diverted route off the main path via a trail that goes by the cliff and there are great seaside views along the way. Proceed with caution and stay clear from the edges as there are no barriers and you are very high up on the cliffs.

The trail goes down the rocks and leads to the small beach area. It’s a small pebble beach and there are many large rocks. Be careful walking on the rocks as they can be very slippery. There’s a cafe by the beach with a seating area. They sell Cornish Pasties, sandwiches, and other small bites as well as drinks. After chilling by the beach for a bit, we went for a walk on one of the cliffside trails. We set out at around 3 PM and walked for around an hour. We went by a couple of people on the trail, but not many. It’s a very scenic walk of the seaside and cliffs. At some points in the trail, you need to go down some rocks and then climb back up on the other side, so it can be a little tiring. We stuck to the cliffside for the views, but on the way back, we took a more direct route to Kynance Cove which took 45 minutes. We then headed back to the parking lot and onwards to our Airbnb¹ in Falmouth which was a 40-minute drive away.