I am sure it hasn’t escaped your attention that I have recently visited Northern Ireland as part of a press trip with Tourism Ireland. The main focus of the trip was on Game Of Thrones locations but we also explored some other areas of NI and well it would be just plain rude if I didn’t tell you all about them. We actually ended our trip in Derry, where you can take a Game Of Thrones tour from or end it there and it is a pretty cool place to visit.

Derry Derry Londonderry Legenderry.. so first up what is the deal behind the names? I mean is it just plain old Derry? County Derry? Londonderry? Well. On the first day we spent in the wonderful walled city we had a tour around the city and we were told a little of the history behind the name and the city.

The names of the city and county of Derry or Londonderry in Northern Ireland are the subject of a naming dispute between Irish nationalists and unionists. Generally, although not always, nationalists favour using the name Derry, and unionists using Londonderry. Legally, the city and county are called “Londonderry”,[1] while the local government district containing the city is called “Derry and Strabane” ( source Wikipedia ).

This is the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of Walled Cities in Europe. The Walls were built during the period 1613-1618 by the honourable, the Irish Society as defences for early seventeenth century settlers from England and Scotland ( Source: Discover NI )

On our tour with Visit Derry:

Before we had our tour of the city we headed to Brickwork Derry a really cool restaurant in the city centre.  The food was every bit as good as I had come to expect in Northern Ireland and the cocktails were a bit special too. Here are a few photos of our meal:

The tour took us around the city, checking out the various wall art and some really interesting buildings before ending up in an Irish Coffee Demonstration. Yep we learned how to make Irish Coffee from a master Irish Coffee Connoisseur. Then they give me the remainder of the bottle of whisky to take away and the rest is a blur.. ok that is such a brazen lie. I have the half bottle of Whisky on my liquor shelf. I really am all talk.

We checked into The City Hotel which overlooked the water and I of course hit the bath and enjoyed a brief break before we got ready for a night out in Derry. We had our evening meal at Browns in Town, I had the lamb which was just mouthwateringly tender. Also a cocktail because you just have to when they are as perfectly pretty as these were.

After our meal we visited some traditional pubs in Derry where I was really pleased to find pubs just as I imagined they would be in Ireland. Live music, random dancing and well shall we say some funny chats were had. We also played the Game Of Names…only the best drinking game ever. It would take too long to explain the rules ( which were fairly flexible ) but I think we confused many people that night. We ended up back at our hotel bar for one last drink before getting some sleep before our final day.

An Irish breakfast at The City Hotel set us for the day ahead and what a day we had.

We joined up with Daragh from Far & Wild Adventures for some longboarding lessons. I have to tell you that I was more than a little apprehensive about this. I have always had a terrible sense of balance, I tried surfing years ago and well it was quite funny for observers. BUT I loved it.

I mean … how cool do I look?

I felt like it came naturally which was weird but I felt kind of addicted from the moment I started and I just wanted to go a little faster, a little further and I didn’t want it to end. We even came across a professional photographer in the town square who asked if we would try skating through the water fountains so we did and it was so much fun. Check out this pic from Gavin Connolly below:

After the whirlwind that was learning to longboard we ended up at The Walled City Brewery, now this really is a MUST visit if you are in Derry. It is a beautifully cool and modern building with the most amazing drinks. Obviously it’s a brewery so the beer was fantastic but we also sampled some of their cocktails too and they were a treat.

 

Favourite drink was Ready For The Hills, a heady mix of rum and lavender syrup.

It really was kind of hard to tear us away from the Brewery and had we not been heading to catch a flight home I think we would have lingered for the day.

We were flying home from Derry Airport on one of the new flights which go direct to London Stansted with prices from £44 one way with BMI  with complimentary tea/coffee and snacks. I love small airports where check in and security is so straightforward and you aren’t walking for miles to find your gate. It was also a bit of fun to be on a small plane where you can virtually see into the cockpit and myself and Kim managed to get the front seats.

Bye bye Derry Derry Londonderry.

I have to say that I highly recommend a trip to Derry and I find myself already wanting to return to explore some more.

A huge part of the enjoyment on this trip was the company I had and I recommend you go check out their posts about our trips, links below:

Kim over at Kimou.co

Lauren at A Bird In The Hand Travel

Pip at Pip In The City

Steph at Scouse girl Problems

Joanna at The World In My Pocket

• I was invited on this trip as a guest of Tourism Ireland.

 

 

Valencia for Foodies

I have a special treat for you today, a guest post from the lovely Alex Ryder of Gingey Bites. You have probably noticed my blog taking a little more of a travel focus lately, I am definitely feeling the wanderlust more these days. Today Alex is telling us about Valencia:

When I think about the European city breaks I’ve been on in my life, I always think fondly of a holiday spent in Valencia on the southeast coast of Spain.

Valencia is a place which encompasses the very modern and the very old. It has greenery, beaches and city scapes in equal measure. At it’s heart is what was once a grand medieval walled city which was guarded by 12 impressively fearsome gates. There are still two left and you can enter the old town through them.

I visited for a week with one of my best friends and we had just three things on our mind – sun, relaxation and great food. We weren’t disappointed. Spanish food culture varies by region and Valencia is known for its delicious and inventive rice dishes. In fact, it is here that the world famous dish paella first originated!

Here are my top foodie recommendations:

Visit the Mercat Central de Valencia:

I love to visit markets when I’m travelling. They are a great way to get a sense of a city and often give you an insight into what the locals eat. The Mercat Central de Valencia is a great example, not just because of its impressive architecture but also because it was a real working market full of locals doing their weekly shop!

Stop for a coffee or perhaps a quick lunch at the Ricard Camarena bar which is in the middle of the market. If you can get a seat, it’s a great spot to sit and people watch!

Eat Tapas in the Old Town:

Valencia is quite big and there are plenty of places to eat all over the city but I really loved going into the old town at night and eating tapas at the small family run restaurants restaurants there. Famous Valencian tapas dishes include brandada de bacalao (salted cod in a creamy white sauce), patatas bravas – with garlic dip rather than tomatoey sauce and pan con tomate (garlicky tomato pulp on toasted bread). We also found that a lot of menus offered stuffed squid and mussels.

Enjoy the nightlife:

During the summer, many of the bars and cafes in the old town put seats out on the street. We enjoyed a couple of leisurely evenings people watching as we sipped on something cold. As is often the case in Europe, the house wine at most places is cheap and tasty. Look out for local wine El Miracle Chardonnay/ Sauvignon Blanc it’s the perfect summer evening wine; crisp, green and very moreish!

Oh, and if you’re a gin lover, you’re in luck! Valencians love the stuff! We visited a couple of bars with a huge gin selection from all over the world.

 

Eat paella by the sea:

Jump on a tram in town and within 15 mins you’ll be at a beachfront promenade which runs along the La Malvarrossa and Las Arenas beaches. You’ll find plenty of beachfront restaurants to choose from and this is a great place to sample Valencia’s most famous dish – paella. If you want to combine history with lunch, head to La Pepica or La Marcelina, both restaurants have been open since the late 19th century and have welcomed many famous guests over their lifespans. We ate at La Pepica and were lucky to get a seat right at the front of the terrace because we arrived bang on 12pm when they opened. It’s said that Ernest Hemingway would often dine there, using the location as inspiration for his writing. It’s a time warp inside with lots of photographs to look at. Order the classic paella and enjoy as it’s served in the pan straight to your table. The dish is so simple and totally delicious too.

Head to a Horchateria

Horchata is a Valencian tradition. It’s a hot milky drink made of tiger nuts which you dip baked fartons nto. Kind of like hot chocolate and donuts! There are a few places around the city to try this traditional snack and it’s not too expensive if you want to try it. The oldest and arguably, the best, is Horchateria de Santa Catalina in the heart of the old town.

As we were there in the height of summer, although we visited, we chose to go with ice creams! They were delicious, really creamy, generous portions and plenty of flavours to choose from! Beware that you might have to queue but it’s worth it for that gorgeous tiled interior!

So that’s it: my top foodie recommendations for Valencia. Of course there is lots more to do aside from eating and drinking. Aside from the large beaches, the city itself has plenty of allure, from old town architecture to the modern quarter known as the City of Arts and Sciences and the huge aquarium. I really recommend it as a holiday destination and am looking forward to returning there myself soon!

When I say Benidorm I bet you are instantly imagining drunken Brits, hen parties or stag parties ..English breakfasts served in pubs that also show Eastenders?

Benidorm has had a bit of a bad rap due to a tiny strip of the town and a TV show which didn’t exactly show it in the best light. In fact I was a bit hesitant about this press trip. It wasn’t really the kind of place I would have chosen to go but now….post trip? I would love to return.

The invite for the trip came as a joint collaboration between Jet2 and Visit Benidorm.

I can tell you up front that I was incredibly impressed by pretty much every aspect of our trip and I really did discover the other side of Benidorm. So what did we do?

Day 1:

My trip began at 6am in Birmingham airport where I kicked off the trip in style with speedy access and VIP service in the No.1 Lounge, I felt a bit special. But there was a small problem… I also felt a little ill. Typical right? It was just a cold or so it seemed but I felt pretty rotten. I decided not to take advantage of the free booze and instead opted for coffee and orange juice before hitting Boots to stock up on cold remedies. Boarding was stress free with super friendly staff and the flight itself was smooth and easy. As the flight went on I just felt worse and worse, coughing and sneezing all the way along ( I imagine to the utter joy of my fellow passengers ) and landing was excruciatingly painful due to the pressure in the cabin, perhaps this was not just your average cold.

On landing at Alicante airport I grabbed a gelato to try and ease my burning throat whilst I waited for my fellow bloggers to arrive. We headed to the hotel, about 40 minutes drive away. The hotel we stayed at was The Melia Villatania and surely it is due some kind of award for being THE most Instagrammable hotel ever. Seriously. Pastel walls and idyllic pools were everywhere you looked and despite the hotel being at full capacity during our stay there was always a quiet spot or an empty stretch of water to play in. All of the images below are ones I have taken of the hotel, never before 9 am so as to give you an accurate portrayal of what the hotel looks like day to day.

 

 

After a brief tour of the hotel and a good nose around my room and the beautiful golf course view I headed to meet up with my fellow bloggers Jenny, Prim, Emma, Kayleigh and Victoria as well as Sergio our host from Visit Benidorm and Frankie and Fred from Jet 2. We headed out for lunch at Ulia, a sea front restaurant by Poniente Beach which served the biggest and the best paella I’ve ever tasted, along with a pretty good Sangria. I was still feeling pretty lousy but not too bad and I was excited for the next part of our day, electric bikes! I’ve never tried electric bikes before, in fact I have always been a bit of a wimp with that type of thing but you know what is funny as I get older? I am getting braver and always wanting to try new things. It is as if I am discovering my inner wild child 10 years later than most people.

The Electric Bike tour with Tao Bike was one of the most fun experiences I have had in a really long time. You literally zoom along with barely any effort which is especially handy when you feel so ill and as we explored Benidorm from above around the cliffs it felt just wonderful. The views, the actual high you get when cruising at speed is pretty special and I really recommend it if you visit the area. You can find out more about the electric bike tours here.

With Jenny from She Get’s Around:

After the tour we headed back to the hotel to freshen up and in true Becky style I grabbed a bath, one because all of a sudden I was starting to feel really dreadful but also because the bath was pretty epic. After changing into something a little dressier I headed to meet the others and we went to the prettiest restaurant Llum de Mar in  Old Town, Benidorm. As always when travelling with bloggers you need to add a good hour onto any plan as they will always find the most beautiful spots in which to take photos and add fashion bloggers into the mix and it takes even longer. I was quite content to enjoy the sea views and take photos of seagulls although I did indulge in a selfie or two in the golden hour ( sunset ). The food was exquisite.

 

Unfortunately by about the midway point of the meal I was starting to suffer quite badly and felt pretty awful. I decided to opt out of the wine and just enjoyed the food and the surroundings and thankfully on the return to the hotel Fred from Jet 2 found me some Night Nurse!

Day 2

I slept for a really long time and missed out on scuba diving the next morning which was pretty annoying but meant I felt a lot better by the time I joined them for lunch. I did get a chance to lie by the faux beach at the hotel for a while with a book so all was not lost..

Another wonderful lunch at Son de Mar along with the best Strawberry Sangria I have ever tasted.

Every meal we had was accompanied by fresh curry bread and aioli. I was in foodie heaven. We also finished all of our meals with Cortado which definitely helped me feel less groggy. We then headed back to the hotel for a relax around the heated pool and I had another soak in the bath and felt a lot better for our tapas evening in the old town. Again we had incredible food, in fact it is some of the best food I have ever eaten on holiday. Something I didn’t imagine when I thought of Benidorm. It was of such a high quality and so beautifully presented that it was a real joy to eat.

Day 3

The next morning we headed out for a jeep tour to the Sierra Cortina mountain and surroundings. This was a very different experience of Spain and we saw some incredible scenery, it was such an exhilarating feeling the wind through my hair in the open top jeep and we spent much of the day laughing and joking together. After the Jeep tour we went back to the hotel top enjoy the buffet lunch. This was a buffet but not as you know it. I have always been a little disappointed with hotel buffets but this was a proper culinary experience with so much choice.

We then had a little free time to explore the hotel more which was lovely, you could spend hours strolling around the hotel with its many bars and restaurants as well as SO many pools and even a fake beach.

That evening we headed to The Cross of Benidorm in Sierra Helada Natural Park for some sightseeing and there really were outstanding views. We then moved onto Solutula restaurant for another mouthwatering meal.

After getting appropriately sated from the food we visited a roof top bar in the main town for cocktails and it was a great way to finish up the day. We sat in the hotel bar to finish with incredibly large measure of Baileys before headed to bed ready for an early departure.

Day 4

An early start to take advantage of one of the best hotel breakfasts I’ve had and one last wander around the hotel. I am already feeling the need to return to the Melia Villatania. The return flight was ever so slightly delated but we were well looked after by the Jet 2 staff and I had a lovely meal and snacks to enjoy during the trip. I was excited to return home and see my family but quite sad to say goodbye to Spain. I’ll be back I’m sure.

Thanks to Jet 2 and Visit Benidorm for a truly special trip, you looked after us so well and certainly showed us the “other side of Benidorm” and I have already recommended it as a holiday destination to friends. The fact that I was so ill during the trip yet still can’t rave about it enough should tell you just how much of an experience it was. I need more than 72 hours next time..

Fir more information on the Gastro Side of Benidorm check out the Visit Benidorm site here.

If you follow any of my social media channels and didn’t pick up that over the past 5 days I have been exploring Northern Ireland, then you must have been living under a rock. I have just returned from a seriously EPIC press trip exploring Game Of Thrones Territory. I don’t use the word epic lightly but it describes the trip perfectly.

I will be writing at least one comprehensive post about the trip within the next few weeks but I felt the urge to share a little teaser about my trip because it was just too good to hold it all inside.  I also think if you are feeling intrigued… which based on the reactions online I know lots of you are then I recommend that you start looking into booking your Game Of Thrones trips sooner rather than later. When the new season begins I imagine bookings will begin to go a little crazy.

Our trip began at Winterfell. We had the wonderful William as our host and guide for this part of the trip and he put on quite the show for us, the day at Winterfell was fully immersive with costumes and archery as well as medieval banquets.

I enjoyed the costume part of the trip a LOT more than I expected to. I think I was born in the wrong era as I felt so comfortable in these cloaks. My archery skills left a lot to be desired but I hit the board and not anybody around me so that was a bonus.

We had real Winterfell style weather doing our first day and although it left us all a little cold and damp it did lend a certain atmospheric value. What was very amusing was the amount of messages and comments I received on social media asking if I was an extra or telling me that I fit in perfectly. I blame the wild hair.

We met a Dolthraki Slave Master…

And also the now famous Direwolves Summer and Greywind played by Odin and Thor and owned by the Mulhall family.

photo credit: Kimou.co

The next few days were a crazy busy blur of visiting castles and caves, famous doors and outdoor locations for various scenes in the show. It was a slightly surreal experience that I just have to recommend for any GOT fan. It is hard to imagine but you really do become immersed in it, even to the point of calling each other by character names and introducing yourself to strangers by those given names, but that is another story for another day.

Even with all the Game Of Thrones excitement set aside you have some areas of outstanding beauty that you absolutely must check out if you visit Northern Ireland. Giant’s Causeway is of course one of them and the few hours we spent there was probably one of my favourite parts of the trip.We found ourselves a spot, myself, Kim, Pip and Lauren and we just embraced the peace and serenity of the sea and sat amongst the impressive rock formations ( even with all the tourists around there are many hidden spots to be found ).

Photo credit: Kimou.co

I have a LOT more to share with you from our time in Belfast, Portrush and Derry with more information on the direwolves, tours and how to book as well as some recommendations on where to stay and more importantly where to eat and drink coming up  on the blog soon. Check out this link if you just cannot wait.

• I was invited on a trip to Northern Ireland as a guest of the Tourist Board.