Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - work trip with a little play

I always thought I'd like to go to see Saudi Arabia but never imagined I would actually go. I don’t know much about the country but I understand it’s politically and culturally conservative and quite different from other Middle Eastern counties I’ve visited. 

When I was asked if I wanted to take a job lasting just over two weeks in July, I embraced the opportunity. I was at least going to get a taste a snippet of this mysterious land on my allocated two days off!

Being the height of summer, the average daytime temperatures are in the mid forties Celsius so some activities were just not possible given the time that we had available. 

We did manage however to get to see a few sights which I have listed below. When we weren't being transported back and forth to work, we used Ubers to get around which were quite cheap and readily available.

• The Sky Bridge at Kingdom Tower where you can see a panoramic view of the whole city from the 99th floor. Ticket price was 69 SR approx £14. 

• Al Masmak Palace - constructed in the hijri 14th century. It was used as a fort against enemies but now stands as a museum. 

We went in the late afternoon to escape the intense heat of the day, but it was still stiflingly hot. It is air conditioned inside and was free to get in.

Deera Square

• Deera Square or Justice Square - a former site of public executions and just around the corner from the fort. 

• Historical Dir’iyah - is the birthplace of rule of the first Saudi state. 

We went during the day but nothing was open until 5pm because local people just don’t go out in the heat. It was nice though to wander around with no one there. 

At-Turaif 

• At-Turaif District - part of the Dir’iyah site. It is one of 5 Saudi Sites included in the UNESCO world heritage list. 

We returned to the Heritage park in the evening at sundown to discover a buzzing area of restaurants filled with local people out with their families. The old town has been and continues to be restored and it really gives a flavour of what life was like. 

BLVD RUH CITY

• Riyadh Park Mall - one of the larger malls with shops and restaurants.  

• Kingdom Mall - part of the Kingdom tower. High end stores and a few high street brands and fast food on the lower floor.

• Boulevard Riyadh City - a massive area of activities, restaurants, events and outlet stores. 

DIR'IYAH

If you are considering visiting Riyadh I would recommend going in their winter as there is so much more to see and do. It is a really interesting country and a lot of changes happening to attract more tourism. 

Riyadh is hosting Expo in 2030 and is expecting 40 million visitors. 

Dress code - it is not mandatory for women to wear an abaya or head covering. Local laws require modest attire covering shoulders and knees. If you want to visit a mosque though, a head covering is necessary. 

I personally found it more comfortable to wear loose clothing covering my body as it stopped the sun's intense rays hitting my skin. SPF50 absolutely necessary.

I'm now looking forward to a late summer holiday so check out my next post in a few weeks time.

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City Break Porto, Portugal

São Bento Railway Station

In the absence of a winter sun vacation to a far flung exotic destination this year, a close second was a city break somewhere a bit brighter and warmer than the UK.

City of choice this time was historical Porto, the second largest in Portugal after Lisbon. I've heard so much about it and it has become quite a popular place to visit.

We flew with EasyJet and booked a delightful studio apartment through booking.com. Our location was perfect for us, right in the UNESCO historic centre. 

Straight out of the arrivals terminal the Metro station is right there. For a cost of €2.70 and within 40 mins we were at our nearest stop São Bento, sitting with a coffee working out where we were and where we wanted to go. The apartment was less than 5 minutes walk away so we dropped our bags, put on our walking shoes and set off. 

Navigating your way around Porto is relatively easy once you get your bearings and be prepared for lots of walking on hilly, cobbled streets. This unfortunately is not an easy place to get around for anyone with mobility issues.

Highlights of Day 1 included .. 

Café Majestic

- the beautiful 19th century beaux art Railway Station with it's intricate azulejo tiled murals of important historic events on the walls.

 

- the Café Majestic, restored in the '90s art nouveau takes you back to the Belle Epoque era. We had a late lunch of tapas and a glass of Portuguese fizz.

- just down the street from the cafe on Rua de Santa Catarina is Capela das Almas, Chapel of Souls, adorned with blue and white tiled panels depicting the saints St. Frances and St. Catherine.

Capela das Almas

It started to rain so we ducked in and out of shops until it stopped and continued our self-styled walking tour, taking in the Sé Cathedral, which looks much more like a cross between a fort and a church and from the square outside there are impressive views of the city and river Douro.

We meandered our way back to our apartment to rest for an hour or so before dinner at our local restaurant Caldeireiros which served delicious traditional dishes.

Day 2 - We started our day exploring the streets and made our way to the gothic Gold Church - Igreja de São Francisco. For an entrance fee of €7.50 you get access to the church, catacombs and museum. The interiors are absolutely spectacular with wooden carvings coated in gold dust.

Igreja de São Francisco

Time for a coffee and a pastel de nata, we decided it was a good idea to get on one of the hop-on hop-off buses to get to some of the sights that were a little way out of the centre. 

A two day ticket for the blue/orange line was €22. 

We took the blue route to .. 

- the Palácio de Cristal, where we wandered around the beautiful gardens and watched a peacock try to impress a peahen with his tail feathers. She wasn't remotely interested.

Casa de Serralves

- the amazing Serralves Museu de Arte Comtemporánea and Casa de Serralves where we saw an exhibition by Joan Miró.

The Art Deco Villa was originally conceived and used
as a private residence but was reclassified as a 'Building of public interest' and purchased by the state as a site for a future museum of art.

Back on the bus we headed north to the Matosinhos Sul and then south along the Atlantic coast and along the estuary until we were back in town again. 

White port and dessert

King Prawn

We didn't realise it was Shrove Tuesday and found it hard to get into a restaurant as they were fully booked and some were closed but we did manage to discover that we had another great place to eat a minute from our apartment - and they had a spare table. From the facade of the building it looked like a bar but on entering we discovered a gorgeous back room with a terrace. 

We had fresh seafood and bubbly, followed by a wonderful dessert and complimentary glass of white port, served cold.

Day 3 and our last, we made good use of our bus pass and took the Orange line south of the river. We stayed on the bus for the duration of the tour past the World of Wine, El Corte Inglés, the Cathedral and Casa de Musica. 

We got off the bus at São Francisco and walked down to the Ribeira (riverside) where we browsed some artisan shops and sat in the spring sunshine with a Porto tonic. Thank goodness for the bus rides as all that walking up and down steep
cobbled streets, stairs and pavements gave our legs a workout on muscles we didn't know we had!

Our last dinner was at a lovely seafood restaurant, which we did reserve - Ostras e Coisas. We had the fried sardines to start and the most delicious melt in the mouth baked sea bass between us. There's nothing quite like freshly caught fish.

Porto, I've always loved pastel de nata and yours were divine!

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The Museum of the Future - Dubai

You may or may not know that I have family living in Dubai and it is one of the reasons I visit there often. 

I planned a quick pre Christmas visit in mid December which is an ideal time to go as its 'winter' there and the temperatures are very pleasant averaging around 25C with minimums of 18C, a welcome respite from the cold for those of us living in the northern hemisphere!

This post though, is primarily about a place where you can immerse yourself in the year 2070 as seen by talented designers and visionary artists.

I have visited most (but certainly not all) of the touristy sites on previous trips but as is the way with Dubai, there is always something new to see and the city is constantly expanding at a rate of knots.

This trip I visited the newly opened Museum of the Future. I had previously seen the impressive glass and steel clad sculptural exterior from the highway but it had not yet been completed. 

Designed by architect and long time veteran Shaun Killa, his aim was to represent Dubai's vision of the future, and he has done an incredible job.

The circular building represents humanity; the green mound it sits atop represents the earth; the void represents the unknown future.

It's a very popular attraction and as you can imagine there is always a high demand for tickets so if you know you are going to be in Dubai and want to go, it is best to plan and book in advance to avoid being disappointed. 

The cost of a timed entry is AED 149 (£34), free for children under 4, and free of charge for people of determination and their care giver. Hours of opening are 10.00am - 9.30pm every day.

Fun fact - The National Geographic has recognised the Museum of the Future as one of 14 of the most beautiful museums in the world.

I don't want to give away all that's inside as I'd love for you to discover that for yourself. 

This really is somewhere I highly recommend visiting - a great place for kids to explore too as the future is really about them.

I'll be back in Dubai in April '23. 

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City Break - Malaga, Spain

I'm three months late posting about my trip to Malaga in Spain - time just ran away from me towards the end of last year and another trip (up next) and work took over. I just didn't make the time to do it. Better late than never!

I jetted off in early November last year to meet up with my pal who will be permanently living there in the not too distant future. It was a good time to go as its off season and the weather is still warmer than it is in the UK. Traveling during the week instead of the weekend also guarantees less crowds too. I can imagine that its quite a different story during the summer months.

I didn't have the best start to my outbound journey as there was a train strike which meant that I couldn't rely on the two trains that may have been running to get me to the airport. I booked a parking slot and set off super early so I could get there, relax and have a leisurely breakfast before the flight. 

Things did not go to plan as the M25 ended up being gridlocked by a protester and subsequently I missed my flight. Not the end of the world thankfully and I was able to rebook a later flight a mere 8 hours later. I got to know the North Terminal at Gatwick quite well!

Instead of arriving at lunchtime, I arrived at 10pm and consequently lost half a day. The next two full days were ample to get a sense of the city and have a good look around. 

I know I will be back there often to visit my friend and explore the city and surrounding areas more. 

Malaga is so close to other towns on the Costa del Sol so its a good starting place for exploring more of the the country. Its also easy to get the train to visit other nearby cities like Seville, Valencia or Alicante.

If you love art, the Picasso Museum is a must see. Picasso was born in Malaga and the museum proudly exhibits some of the artist's incredible works. There was a long line on the first day so we went early the next day to avoid waiting. Probably the best option is to book tickets online as you can jump the queue.

Malaga is full of many things to see and do with the food mercados, local beaches, parks and rooftop bars where you can sit with a cocktail and take in the view. 

Its easy to get around and the city is great for shopping and of course eating and there are cafés and restaurants on every street serving delicious local cuisine.

It feels safe there and the people are very friendly. I definitely need to go back soon so I can put my limited Spanish into practice. Since visiting Seville in September, I've been learning religiously every day. 

I'll be happy if I can string a sentence together when I go.

Gracias por los recuerdos Málaga. Volveré pronto está bien.

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The Ancient city of Seville

Last month, two of my work pals and I went to Seville for a City Break. We chose to go during the week when it is less busy than the weekends, and also late September when it is not quite so hot as the summers tend to be. Seville happens to be the warmest city in continental Europe. It is also the hottest major metropolitan area in Europe, with summer average high temperatures of above 35C (95F) and also the hottest in Spain. The week before we visited it was averaging daytime temperatures of 38/39C! Way too hot for us although it was still in the low 30's and quite humid while we were there. Thankfully the evenings were cooler.

Seville is approximately 2,200 years old. Various civilisations have been instrumental in its growth and has left the city with a distinct personality and a large and well-preserved historical centre including three UNESCO World heritage sites.

It is indeed unique and beautiful. We spent 4 days and 3 nights there which was enough for a city break and an introduction to Seville, but I would love to go back again and explore more of the city as there's so much to see. It's a place I imagine I would never tire of.

We stayed in a charming Airbnb apartment just on the outskirts of the city centre, about a 20 minute walk into town. It's always nice to experience a local feel and to relish the quietness you don't necessarily get when you're in the thick of things.

We had no real itinerary planned but had booked the Restaurant Recovero with a rooftop terrace for our first night so we could see views fo the city at night and get a sense of where we were. The vista was of course stunning and the food was delicious.

We loved walking through the narrow winding streets exploring the shops and myriad cafes and tapas bars to stop for a coffee or refreshing glass of Sangria. An excuse to rest weary legs, not that we needed one! 

To escape the searing heat on day two, we went down to the river in the late afternoon and spent an hour on a boat learning a bit more about this wondrous city. For €18 with Cruceros en Sevilla we boarded the boat near the Torre Del Oro and leisurely cruised up the river and back. 

Later in the evening we enjoyed a fabulous Flamenco show which we had prebooked through Tablao Flamenco. We were treated to an hour of passionate music and dance by some super talented performers.

We also visited Las Dueñas Palace which we stumbled across on our way to the Metropol Parasol. The Palace has a wonderfully diverse collection of art and sculpture set in stunning architecture that included styles from the Gothic-Mudejar era to the Renaissance period. 

We also went to see the Alcazar of Seville and Seville Cathedral and La Giralda but did not go on the tours inside as the queues were too long. The Cathedral is one of the largest in the world behind St Peter's in Rome and St Paul's in London. The Giralda tower was once part of a mosque that was originally there and this is evident in it's architectural style.

Situated in the Plaza de la Encarnación, the Metropol Parasol also known as the 'mushrooms of Seville' is an ultra modern structure, opened in 2011. It was designed by a German architect, Jürgen Mayer, who won a competition to revitalise the square. It is the largest wooden construction in the world.

There is also an antiquarian museum in the basement, along with market stalls and bars on the ground floor, where we sampled some local sherry and bought vacuum packed Manchego cheese and cured meat to bring home with us.

On our last full day, after exploring more of the city on foot, we went to the Seville Museum of Fine Arts or Museo de Bellas Artes. It has works of art by mainly Spanish artists, although not exclusively, from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque era right up to the 20th century.

After another full day of walking till our feet ached, our last night was spent at a lovely restaurant near the cathedral. Fitting in quite nicely with the locals who like to eat late, we had tapas and sangria, serenaded by street musicians.

Seville has definitely left a stamp on my heart (and my passport) and I hope to return again very soon.

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Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Ithaca .. jewels in the Ionian Sea

I've been wanting to go to the Greek Island of Kefalonia for quite some time and this year that dream became a reality.

Every year in June my girl friends and I go to an island within a four hour flying radius of London. The pandemic stopped us going for 2 years and last year we finally got to go to Corfu in September. This year we looked at a number of island  options but connections didn't work out with flights and ferries so we booked an EasyJet holiday to Kefalonia. It was a great deal and an easy process. Flights, accommodation and transfers all organised and paid for in advance.

We took a super early flight out so that we could make the most of our first day. We arrived around lunch time a little before check in so went and had a lovely lunch by the pool. 

The hotel Apostolata is set into a hillside and all rooms have a view of the beautiful Ionian sea. The location is lovely but it is about 3kms outside of the main town of Skala so if you like to be in the thick of it this is not the place for you. The hotel offers a free shuttle service every day except Sunday - twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon, the last one being at 5.30pm.

Our first full day was a Sunday, so as there was no shuttle service, we chose to walk to the town to get a sense of the area. Mostly downhill on the way there, it took about 40 minutes to our first stop at Nautilus restaurant which had a beach which you could access on a stepped path down the hill. We had a coffee and booked lunch for later on, giving us free use of the sun beds and umbrella. The beach was quite stoney so we walked further into town and bought beach shoes as we had forgotten to bring ours with us.

The water was crystal clear and relatively warm and it was such a joy to be on the beach and in the water again.

Lunch was delicious fresh fish with Greek salad and local wine. It was such a perfect location with views of the beach and sea. A great start to what was to be a fantastic holiday.

We went back to the beach for another swim and decided we had enough energy for the walk back. I have to say, that last kilometre or so up the hill was a struggle particularly as we didn't have suitable footwear (flip flops are really meant for the beach) but we racked up about 13,000 steps that day!

We booked 2 days of boat trips - one to Zakynthos or Zante as it's also known, and one to the island of Ithaca. Both trips were fabulous and we we went with Valsamis Cruises. It took about 90 minutes to get to the beautiful Shipwreck beach which was wonderful to see but crowded on the day with other boats dropping tourists off. The sea was too rough for us to get off and swim but it didn't matter as we had about 20 minutes to take it all in before going on to see the Blue Caves. I couldn't get over the myriad variations of the blues of the sea, it was just amazing. 

Cruising onward around the island we stopped at St. Nikolaos for about an hour and a half where we had a leisurely lunch overlooking the sea and the small harbour. On the way back we dropped anchor in a secluded bay for the chance to swim off the boat and enjoy the peace and tranquility.

Similarly, the trip to Ithaca was about an hour's sail away from the port of Poros but the island was charming and different to Zante. It was an enchantingly beautiful place, just as you'd imagine a Greek island would be. 

The capital Vathi, which was our first stop, is situated around a deep natural bay and retains all the charm and traditional architecture that is typical of the Ionian Islands. We got off there to spend an hour or so wandering around the
town with its water front shops, cafes and restaurants. 

Our second stop and where we had lunch was Kioni, also set in a sheltered bay with restaurants and cafes on the beach. This is an island I would love to come back to explore more. 

On the way back we stopped again at a beautiful secluded beach to swim in the crystal clear turquoise sea.

Mid week we got the local bus service for a trip to the capital of Argostolion on the other side of the island from where we were based. At a cost of €4.50 each way it was a bargain.

The journey took almost 2 hours as there were a number of stops along the way but it was an interesting trip on winding roads through little villages and seeing a great deal of the island which is surprisingly quite mountainous. The roads are generally quite narrow so there's no hurrying the process.

Argostolion looks relatively modern with a pedestrianised area filled with shops, cafes and restaurants. It was fairly quiet while we were there but apparently can get quite busy at times as it's a cruise ship stop. We checked out the shops and stopped for a Frappe - iced coffee - outside a typical Greek cafe.

We headed down to the water front and had lunch in a restaurant Aristofanis recommended to us by a local resident and it didn't disappoint. I love the Greek diet of fresh fish vegetables and salad. I could actually live on it permanently. 

The rest of our time between the day trips was spent at the beach in Skala, right in front of what became our favourite, Milos beach bar and restaurant. Two sun beds and umbrella plus two bottles of water was €8 for the day. The beach is mostly sand so not too many rocks to contend with and there is also a shower and changing hut.

We stayed there for lunch and went for drinks in the evening as we loved the location and the hospitality of the owner and his staff. We even got to see the strawberry super moon rise over the sea one night. A magical, serendipitous experience to remember. 

We met so many lovely people who also appreciate the beauty of this region and return every year without fail.

I think I may have left a little piece of my heart in Kefalonia and would love to come back to this beautiful island again one day.

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A long weekend in Beaune, France

I love a road trip, and recently at the end of May, had one with 3 friends. We drove from Zurich where they live, to Beaune in France, a three and a half hour journey on the auto route.

Beaune is situated in the heart of the Burgundy wine region and there is so much to see and do you would be hard pressed to get it all done in a few days, but try we did. The town itself is relatively small with an abundance of restaurants, bars and wine shops. We went on a holiday weekend so it was particularly busy with tourists from all over the world. We stayed in a gîte right in the centre of the town with easy access to everything. It is surprisingly quiet at night.

We had planned in advance to hire electric bicycles to cycle through the vineyards. The cycle route is off the main roads but occasionally we would have to navigate through villages with fortunately very little traffic to contend with. We stopped en route in Meursault for a coffee before continuing our journey to the Hotel Le Montrachet where we had a gorgeous lunch with accompanying wine from the region. 

The ride back was slightly more arduous, again stopping in Meursault for a drink, but we managed to get the bikes back by the agreed time of 6pm. It was a fabulous experience and one I would highly recommend. All that fresh air and open country was an utter joy.

We spent most of our time in Beaune itself. It has a great array of restaurants and bars to choose from. On the Saturday morning, there is a lovely French market with local produce, crafts, clothing and antiques. Its a bustling place full of atmosphere and definitely worth trying all the lovely fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as cheeses, meats even fresh pasta from an Italian trader.

Our favourite wine bar was Le Bristrot de Coin, a small bar on
the edge of a small square with a fab choice of local wines. The owner is very knowledgeable and recommended some great wines for us to try. 

We also ate lunch twice at a lovely restaurant La Superb, Bar à Manger, a Michelin guide recommendation. An unpretentious family run business, the food and wine paring was perfect.

We hopped on the train for the 20 minute journey to Dijon, the capital of the Burgundy region where we spent the afternoon. It's a picturesque town full of gothic and renaissance  architecture. Known primarily for producing mustard there is also the Musée des Beaux-Arts, housed in the Palace of the Dukes. 

We strolled around the town, stopping for a glass of wine right in front of the gothic church of Notre Dame where a wedding had just taken place. The bride and groom drove off in a Mini - how romantic!

A beautiful four days in France spent in predominantly late spring sunshine, we couldn't have asked for more.

Back to Switzerland and a day trip with a difference

Going back to my last blog post I alluded to the fact that once you're in Europe it's relatively easy to get around to visit another country. Switzerland borders three European countries - Germany, France and Italy and they can all be accessed via train or by road.

Fortunately for me, I have a friend who lives in Zurich so I was able to go back again and do a bit more exploring. On the day I arrived we spent time walking around the city centre and relaxing with a glass of rosé at Mövenpick in the early evening. 

We had planned a trip the next day to Lucerne and bought a day pass ticket which covered trams in Zurich, the train there and back and boats on the lake. Such good value at 75CHF, approximately £60. 

The train journey took about 40 minutes and we wandered around the town for an hour or so until our ferry to the Bürgenstock Hotel was ready to depart. I had seen this luxury hotel perched on top of a mountain with it's amazing views featured on a tv program. Although it's way out of my price range to stay there, going for lunch at one of their restaurants is perfectly doable and reasonably priced. 

It was so relaxing gliding along the lake taking in the mesmerising view until we docked at the pier to take the funicular cable car up to the top of the mountain. This was an extra cost of 50CHF about £40 for the return journey, but totally worth it for a truly spectacular experience both ways.

We had also booked in advance for their Spices Kitchen restaurant, which offers a mix of authentic dishes from Thailand, India, China and Japan. The magnificent panoramic view is like nothing else I have seen and the food and service was exquisite as you would expect from a hotel of this calibre and it's unique location.

After our wonderful lunch we were back on the funicular and the ferry to Lucerne where we picked up another boat and spent another 2 hours cruising on the lake and witnessing the fantastic scenery and lakeside towns till we reached Brunnen where we disembarked and caught the train back to Zurich.

Coming up next - a four day long weekend to the Burgundy region in France.

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