Cherryl's Blog

Granted, there may be something to be said for the thrill and adventure of organising a travel itinerary with all your own connections and accommodation yourself, either as you go or all in advance. On this occasion I accepted the offer of a little help and a bit less to…

We all know Havana is the capital of Cuba, a metropolitan hub of tourists, beautiful buildings  and classic vintage cars. Havana is bustling and busy with interesting sights on every turn. To go to Cuba and not visit Havana would be a crime, but there is certainly more to Cuba…

After three nights at the Iberostar Parque Central, here are a few pictures in case you’re curious or planning a stay there yourself. The hotel is described as one of the best hotels in the centre of Havana (I guess this depends what type of scene you’re into – a…

I never normally bothered with these things  as I actually used to like the buzz of wandering around crowded airport shops and having a nice proper cooked breakfast in some crowded eatery before a flight. A very good Virgin travel agent  managed to do some effective arm twisting so I…

Before I went to Cuba I had a head full of vintage cars, cigars and salsa dancing. I’d only ever taken a superficial interest in this very unique Caribbean island – until now!!

My favourite part of any plane ride is take off. The exhilaration and adrenaline rush, coupled with that final feeling of actually ‘going’ to wherever it is, the build up is over and its time to sit back and relax. All the better if it’s a miserable day when I…

‘You’ve Been Framed’ When people say “I’m not gonna lie….” (hmmm, do you normally lie!). A selfish person. Wind and rain at the same time (unless I’m indoors). When people eat with their mouth open. When people start crunching crisps before they close their mouth, so it echoes loudly across the…

The Oath was a hefty hardback book, and not quick at getting to the crux of the story. But what a strange story! A small town seems to be harbouring a big scary secret that nobody dares talk about; there’s a thick fog of fear hovering over everyone in this…

Just my opinion – but I think we all need change. We need to stretch, challenge ourselves and add new experiences to our repertoire. If we don’t get a healthy dose of change every so often, we can begin to feel stale and uninspired – perhaps a bit like a…

Join me for more random chatter over a cuppa tea!

To all those venturing out into the sales, I hope you manage to make it home with a smile! I’m not sure what happened to the days when: I could find the time to spend a whole day wandering up and down/in and out of shops and coming home with…

Well I didn’t actually go skiing. After a hearty lunch in Kalambaka, I found myself in Metsovo, part of a Greek ski resort area in Epirus, which in a few more weeks would be white with snow. It was a flying visit really (as part of a wider excursion), but…

Monks in the beautiful greek mountains….

A perfect Greek Getaway

  Valtos Beach hotel is a small family run resort daintily placed in a mountain hill surrounded by lemon and olive trees with fabulously relaxing views onto the bay, ocean and nearby castle. As with most businesses around Parga – it’s a family thing, and you will see names of…

Perhaps the prettiest place I’ve ever had lunch – shielded by the golden shimmer of the trees against the sun as the odd leaf drops and floats down the river. The sound of the water was the only music needed – and the clinking plates as we ate in the…

More beach chatter…

Stalking seems like a sinister and subtle crime, the unknown face that watches you could be anywhere….

I’m not usually much of a poet, but managed to rustle up this little rhyme!

September signals the start of a new chapter in the year, ‘September’ just doesn’t sound very summery to me, so I tend to go straight into autumn mode. September signals the countdown to Christmas. Yes I know we’ve got bonfire night and some other events to get through first, but…

Just a few more random thoughts….. Disasters, controversies and tensions seem to be spiralling out of control across the mainstream media, more and more these days – I can’t keep up with it all. One thing after another, all over the globe. Is it just me or do problems seem…

Pottering around London’s Southbank on a weekend is an easy way to spend the day – people watching, take in the music, street entertainment and food. There’s always something going on and the atmosphere is relaxed and chilled out. Once you’re done at the food market, head up to the…

Now I know what a ‘tap tap’ is!!! I had no idea before reading this book. Tap Taps To Trinidad, by Zenga Longmore, is a quirky little book that tells the tales of a woman’s (largely solo) experiences of hopping around a number of caribbean islands, somewhat naively at times….

More random chatter over a quick cup of tea.

The human body is far too ‘switched on’ not to notice you have been surfing above the clouds at high altitude (which interferes with your oxygen levels) and super strong UV rays for hours on end, and that your entire sleep pattern and usual bodily functions have been turned upside…

Sing along now….. There are days when you just want to do absolutely nothing of any real use. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Don’t feel guilty. Sometimes you just need to listen to your inner self and give yourself a lazy break (without the hassle of planning, booking…

Admittedly, until this trip I only ever had visions of mud, fields, wellies and music festivals whenever I thought of Glastonbury. I came away with a completely different picture. The most striking thing about the town was that almost every shop was some sort of spiritual type, there were shops…

Another day galavanting around Cornwall, this time in Penwith, the part of Cornwall where the traditional Cornish Language was spoken for the longest. Quaint cobbled buildings and narrow streets, and the sound of seagulls above. The queue for the main cornish pasty shop was unbelievable, a good indication that they…

So I can finally say I’ve been to Land’s End, one of Britain’s most famous coastal landmarks. There is something about the coast that is very therapeutic and calming, no matter where you are in the world.   Quick Stop at Carn Galver Mine, Cornwall     SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave…

This quick stop at Porthcurno West Cornwall was just long enough to take in the sight of one of the UK’s prettiest beaches. The photographs really don’t do it justice, to see it in person with the sun shining was like looking at a photo from the Mediterranean, the colour and…

Right next to Gyllyngvase beach, in the Cornish town of Falmouth, you are likely to stumble across this pretty little garden with immaculate flower beds and a really peaceful atmosphere. There is no charge to go in and wander around, and it’s a very safe space, so enjoy!  

It takes approximately 15 mins to walk from Falmouth town centre up to Gyllyngvase beach, Falmouth’s biggest beach, it’s an ‘up and then down hill’ walk, but a pleasant one in the summer. You can’t help but stop and admire the gardens of local residents, bursting with colour and vibrant…

Falmouth town centre is deceivingly large and winding, with plenty places to get something to eat. The harbour is very picturesque, and there are some quirky shops with funny titles. It was a pleasure visiting Falmouth for two nights.         SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

The next stop on my UK staycation, with yet more coastal views, fresh country walks and a pretty little village. Spotted: interesting dancers     Music clip: Do Your Thing – Basement Jaxx, no copyright infringement intended SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

If being in the centre of Falmouth is on your ‘must’ list, The Grove is definitely one to consider . From the hotel, you can take a right and walk up to Gyllyngvase beach (about 10-15 min walk) under the bridge and up; you can walk directly across the main road…

Boscastle fishing village has to be one of the cutest villages I’ve been to, and very much the closest I’ve come to a real life ‘Thomas Kinkade’ scene. Many of Thomas Kinkade’s pictures are like snapshots from a fairytale. You’d be forgiven for thinking you were walking through the set…

Except I didn’t have a hamburger, I had a chicken burger!! You can also get vegetarian burgers with Byron SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

A rainy day in Tavistock town, UK…. SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

Moody pictures from a rainy drive through Dartmoor. Dartmoor falls under Plymouth, and is known to most as one of the UK’s most beautiful expanses of landscape beauty. Driving along the scenic narrow roads, we passed Dartmoor prison,  I wondered if the inmates got to enjoy the views! Apparently the…

It’s one of the UK’s most popular Russell Group university towns, –  well known names J K. Rowling and Will Young attend!!  Apparently, Exeter is the last place that any person in the UK was tried and executed for practicing witchcraft, and it’s quite famous for this…it also boasts very…