Quirky Traveller's Tales

Whether you’re headed to Nicaragua, Nepal, Namibia, or just up the road to Northumbria, your trip will inevitably be busy. but in between shrines, safaris and scuba diving (presumably not in Northumbria…), it’s important to keep your safety in mind.  So plan ahead, and stick to these top tips for safe travel, and you’ll be able to turn your attention to what you’ve gone away for…fun, fun, and more fun!

1.    Airport security

TSA luggage lock

In recent years, airport security has become much more rigorous, particularly in the USA.  Tighter security procedures mean your luggage is more likely to be opened and examined by airport officials; if locks and zips are forced open, it can damage your bags, or result in a broken lock.  A TSA (Transportation Security Administration) luggage lock offers a security feature that allows US security personnel to open and re-lock your luggage without any damage.  This leaves you to whizz through baggage reclaim upon arrival so that you can get out and get on with your adventure!

2.    Better safe than sorry

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  Portable Travel Safe

There are always spectacular sights and sounds to capture when you’re visiting a country for the first time – it’s great to show your friends and family when you get home – but flashing your smartphone or digital SLR camera can make you a prime target for pickpockets. There isn’t always a safe provided in a hotel room to keep your stuff safe, particularly in budget accommodation, and when there is one, it can often carry a subsidiary cost.  Taking a portable Travel Safe ensures you’ll always have somewhere to keep your belongings secure. The safe can be attached to any fixed objects in your room while you’re out and about, and can be carried in a bag or anchored to something on the beach if you don’t want to leave your valuables behind.

3.  Lock it or lose it

It can be a great experience to see a city from another point of view; for example, renting a bike and cycling around in Holland is a must.  While it’s a fun, efficient and eco-friendly way to get around, you want to ensure you keep your rental secure, and don’t lose your security deposit!  A bike lock can be a good solution. That way, you can rest easily while your bike (or anything else for that matter) is parked up securely outside.

4. Very alarming

With a busy day exploring ahead of you, you’re not likely to give it much thought when you skip out of your accommodation and lock up…but it’s important to make sure your possessions are left somewhere secure.  While there’s not much you can do about the integrity of the door (other than move rooms if your door has a broken lock!), you could always set up a battery-powered stand alone alarm to keep guard.  Placed freestanding on a shelf or fixed to a wall, your alarm will alert you if an intruder breaks in – think of it as a portable burglar alarm!

5.    Alarm yourself

Personal Attack Alarm

Once you’ve had a siesta, you’ll want to get out and experience the local nightlife.  A personal attack alarm is small and discreet to carry, with an ultra loud built-in siren, which is activated by pulling the hand loop.  Whether you’re out at a carnival, full moon party or fiesta, carry a personal attack alarm to ensure you can enjoy partying safely, and the only thing you have to recover from the next day is a late night!

This post was brought to you by Yale UK.  All of the Yale security products recommended are available from your local DIY store, locksmiths or hardware stores.

To travel safe, sound and secure all over the world, call 01902 364606 for more information or visit www.yale.co.uk.

Pinterest is a tool for collecting and
organizing things you love.

If you are at all into social media than you will have undoubtedly heard of Pinterest but may not be sure what it is and if it is for you.  This year Pinterest decided to launch the #PinItForwardUK campaign,

“Three years ago, when Pinterest was a much smaller community and team, we had a great opportunity to have bloggers try out pinning. The site looked quite a bit different back then, we didn’t have any mobile apps, but it was a lot of fun and we learned a great deal from folks too. Back in 2010, this collaboration was called “Pin It Forward,” and we thought we’d bring back the idea to get to know our British community and how they use Pinterest.”

For many, Pinterest is simply a way to share beautiful images on every subject imaginable in a simple, easy and fun way.  But it’s also a great platform to showcase your business, service or product.

“Pinterest is a pinboard-style photo-sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, and hobbies. Users can browse other pinboards for images, ‘re-pin’ images to their own pinboards, or ‘like’ photos.”  Wikipedia.

What makes it so powerful is that most pinned images are ‘linked’ back to the website they are pinned from, thus making it an extremely impressive search engine – now the fourth biggest after YouTube, Google and Yahoo.  Here’s a simple explanation for getting started with Pinterest

Quirky Traveller Pinterest Boards

What is a Pin?

A pin starts with an image or video you add to Pinterest. You can add a pin from a website using the PinIt bookmarklet or upload an image from your computer. Any pin on Pinterest can be repinned, and all pins link back to their source.  You create boards with your favourite themes, collecting pins and sharing them. Here’s one of my boards with pins from The Quirky Traveller

What is a Board?

A board is where you organize your pins by topic. You could pin ideas for remodeling your bathroom to your House Projects board, for example. Boards can be secret or public and you can invite other people to pin with you on any of your boards.  I have lots of travel boards but also Social Media, Art, Fav Films & Books, Writing and many more. You can check out all my boards here.

What is a Follow?

When you follow someone, their pins show up in your Pinterest home feed. You can follow all of someone’s boards or just the ones you like best. To manage who you’re following, go to your profile and click Following.

What happens when I Unfollow?

When you unfollow someone, their boards won’t show up in your home feed anymore. You can unfollow all of someone’s boards, or just the ones you’re not that interested in. Nobody will get notified if you unfollow them.

What is a Home Feed?

Pinterest Board – The Quirky Traveller

Your home feed is a collection of pins from pinners and boards you follow. It’s updated every time someone you follow adds a pin. The more people you follow the more varied and interesting your home feed will become.  There’s a search menu for topics if you want more ideas.

What is a Pin It bookmarklet?

The Pin It bookmarklet lets you easily pin things you see on websites and blogs. To get the bookmarklet or learn more, check out the Pinterest Goodies page where you can also get the Pinterest App for your smartphone.

Reasons to use Pinterest for Business

Pinterest will drive traffic to your website or blog.  Pinterest let you create businesses pages aimed at promoting your service, product or site online.^] Your Board can become a “virtual storefront” encouraging visitors to buy from you.  Wikipedia quotes one case study where, on a fashion website, users visiting from Pinterest spent $180 compared with $85 spent from users coming from Facebook. These users spent less time on the company’s website, choosing instead to browse from the company’s pinboard. Brand studies continue to show Pinterest is more effective at driving sales than other forms of social media.

So now you’ve seen the basics for getting started with Pinterest, share in the gloriously colourful #PinItForwardUK craze that’s got everyone talking and START PINNING!

If you’ve been to Iceland you’ll understand the singer Björk.  Born and raised in Reykjavik, she epitomises this country’s quirky, eclectic energy.  Visitors on holiday can get a brief glimpse of Iceland’s natural attractions and history by doing The Golden Circle, including Gulfoss (Golden Waterfall), the geothermal filed of Haukadalur where Strokkur geyser erupts very few minutes and the UNESCO World Heritage site, Þingvellir National Park where the original Parliament met.  All this is can be done in a day trip from Reykjavik, Iceland’s historic and vibrant capital city.

In spite of a very changeable climate that Brits will feel at home in and those from warmer countries may find ‘challenging’, Reykjavik is one of the party capitals of Europe.  Lively techno and hard rock bars vie with cool cafes and trendy eateries.  But it’s the fascinating cultural scene, unusual architecture, every-changing seascapes and crisp, sparkling air that I loved.  Standing on The Square  one look at the unassuming, low level Alþing (Parliament House) tells you that this is a country that seems at ease with its identity and has no need to dominate. The white-walled Cathedral next door would not look out of place in a provincial town.  And that’s the secret of Reykjavik’s appeal – it’s small, accessible and utterly charming.

The best way to explore the city is on foot. In a few hours you can see all the main sights ‘downtown’ – we had a guide but it’s not difficult to navigate.  With the sea on one side and linear streets you can’t get too lost.  In front of the Tourist Information Centre on little Faxaflói Square we were shown a rather strange looking sculpture of tall concrete stakes with steam coming from the running water.  Apparently this represents the founding of the city when a Norwegian Viking settler farmed this land and called it ‘Reykjavik’ aka ‘steamy/smoky bay.’

At the nearby Landnamssyningin (Settlement Exhibition) I tried to imagine what ancient island life was like around 1000 AD from the remnants of a turf wall and some Viking objects.  Can’t say I succeeded but worth a try …  Much more appealing was the Kraum Centre for Icelandic Craft in House No 10 Aðalstræti,  said to be the oldest wooden house in centre of the city. As you can imagine, these houses are prone to fire and decay being so near the sea so it is amazing that any have survived.  There was an intriguing collection of pottery, jewellery, household utensils and clothes, all with a definite Icelandic twist in their creation and construction.

Shoppers are well catered for with a great mix of international names and very high quality local  brands.  In the city’s largest shopping centre, Kringlan (a few minutes’ drive from the heart of the city, you’ll find names like Karen Illen, Deisel, Next, Zara and Hugo Boss.  One of the most well-known local names is 66°North, created in 1926 to provide outdoor clothing to protect the fishermen and labourers from the extremes of Arctic weather. Now uber-fashionable, their garments combine practicality and contemporary design.  I got a very snug fleece that looks good and is very cosy on the Lake District fells in winter!  If you have time, just go off the main streets to discover quirky little shops selling all manner of tempting goodies.

Laugavegur is the main shopping street.  Woollen items are a favourite and the Hand-knitting Association of Iceland has a couple of shops in town.  Or you could try a quirky chocolate volcano on an iced cake from a bespoke chocolatier …

Heading towards busy Hafn (harbour) we could smell the fishing boats before we saw them.  Serious looking craft bedecked with industrial-strength nets were bobbing about near the ferries, a military vessel and other shipping that regularly sail around these chilly waters.

Looming over it all like some enormous honeycomb is the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre.  Home to the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, this state-of-the-art building was only completed in 2011.  Music concerts, opera , art exhibitions and international conferences are held all year round  and there are a couple of shops as well as an excellent restaurant.  Eating a delicious lunch of fresh seafood and local dishes we had a breath-taking view of the harbour’s icy blue waters as the sun shimmered through the geometric windows.

This is a glimpse of a few of the highlights of Reykjavik’s attractions.  Look out for the next article on the city’s Art Museum and Culture House, lovely Lake Tjörnin, a boat trip to Viday Island,  a privileged glimpse inside the Höfði House, where Gorbachov and Reagan met for the Reykjavik summit and a visit to the Presidential Palace to meet the outgoing Icelandic President.

I travelled to Iceland courtesy of easyJet, now offering regular flights and holidays to quirkilicious Iceland, and stayed at the luxurious Hotel Borg, in the heart of the city on Parliament Square.

Read about my exciting experience of The Golden Circle here.

Italy has its iconic, must-see sites that are sure to feature on many peoples’ bucket lists. St Mark’s Square and the canals of Venice, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Rome’s Trevi Fountain and the Vatican, the rolling hills of Tuscany… I could go on.

However, all these breathtaking icons of Italian tourism have literally hundreds of books, thousands of web pages and millions of photographs dedicated to them. More importantly, they are places that many people have already visited. So in this article we give you five quirky things to do in Italy for an Italian holiday with a difference.  Here’s an unusual, eccentric Italy; a little bit weird but all the more wonderful for it.

Join in an Orange Fight

Many people have heard of La Tomatina that takes place in Bunol, Spain. But real tough guys don’t mess about with soft tomatoes. Oh no, real tough guys come to Italy for the Battle of the Oranges! This peculiar and slightly dangerous festival takes place in Ivrea, about 70 miles West of Milan and what makes a huge fight with oranges even weirder and at least twice as wonderful, is that the fruit doesn’t even grow locally and the oranges (about 250,000kg) are brought from the South!

Stay in a Shepherd’s Hut

The Vatican is a great place to visit if you don’t mind hours of queuing and jostling for position amongst the fervent crowds of tourists in the vain hope of getting a glimpse of the latest elderly man in white robes giving a little wave. If you prefer your holiday to be a touch more tranquil, how about getting out into the wilderness of Sardinia?

The Fiummendosa Valley is stunning, a cornucopia of colour and scents created by swathes of wild flowers, trees and herbs. After a little too much Italian wine I somehow ended up bedding down with a friend of a friend of a friend in his shepherd’s hut. I can’t recommend it enough, although neither the sensational feeling of freedom it brings nor the lungful after lungful of fresh country air made me immune to hangovers.

The hardy amongst you could attempt to scale Sardinia’s highest peak, Punta la Mamora, which has an elevation of almost 2,000m. We decided against it, choosing instead a gentle stroll in the foothills where we found an amazing restaurant which served up a fine, stodgy but very tasty wild boar stew.

Go “fishing” for sea urchins

In many of Italy’s coastal towns sea urchins are a hugely popular delicacy. We tried them in Sardinia and with a squeeze of lemon they are an unusual, refreshing delight. We even tried to catch our own haul but after a few abortive attempts that resulted in perforated fingertips we decided eating was more fun that fishing!

When we ate the yellowy, gooey sludge that was served as “sea urchin roe”, we were a little unsure. But following the “when in Rome…” adage we tucked in. It was only later when I researched how a spiny spherical creature could be turned into said splodge that I found out we had been eating sea urchin gonads. Oh well, they  very were tasty.

Take a walk along World War I trails

For those who prefer a good walk over prickly aquatic gustatory pleasures, the Italian Dolomites near the Austrian border are a superb option. You’ll more than likely have the magnificent Alpine views, fields of wild flowers and clear blue lakes to yourself, or at least only have to share them with the local birdlife.

Many of the trails through the pastures, woods and forests were created by soldiers during the First World War and there are tunnels built into the hills, as well as an informative open air museum.

Visit Umbria’s dying town

Umbria has so much to offer, from historic Assisi, the stunning Subasio Natural Park and culinary delights such as black truffles and arguably the country’s finest olive oils. But that’s all a bit passé for us. We prefer Civita di Bagnoregio, the Etruscan town that pre-dates Christ and today has a population barely in double figures. Perched precariously atop a small rock formation, erosion means it may not be around too much longer, so visit this strange, beautiful town now, before it crumbles completely …

As you can see, there are plenty of quirky things to do in Italy with plenty of hidden delights magnificently complementing the more popular tourist spots. So, for an Italian trip with a difference, get off the beaten track and, if you fancy it, try some of those sea urchin gonads!

This article is brought to you by Headwater Holidays, creators of a global range of tailor-made soft-adventure holiday experiences, specialising in self-guided walking and cycling holidays, luxury accommodation and good food .

You can find them on Face Book and on Twitter @Headwaterhols

With his hands clutching his long, flowing coat tightly around him, Sir William Hillary (1771-1841) stands high above Douglas Harbour, ready to face everything the weather can throw at him.  As founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution he was well aware of the changeable  meteorological temperament of his home, the Isle of Man.  The weather can shift from clear blues skies, to torrential rain and back again in an afternoon – which adds to this island’s unpredictable charm.  ’Tis said that the ancient sea god Manannan Mac Lir lays his cloak of cloud across his isle to protect it from invaders – but modern-day islanders welcome visitors who come in peace any day. …

Floating in the Irish Sea about 60 miles off the Lancashire – Cumbria coast, en route to the United States, this tiny island has an ancient history that belies its size.  Norse rulers established a system of self-government over a thousand years ago and the Tynwald is still in power today.  The islanders enjoy a laid-back approach to life akin to their Gaelic neighbours in nearby Ireland and the Manx phrase traa dy-liooar is similar to mañana in Spain.

With so many attractions for people of all ages, a weekend is not nearly long enough.  I visited the island as a child and chose to return on a blog trip when I won ‘Britain’s Best Travel Blogger 2011′.  Here are my 7 quirky things to do on the Isle of Man.

1.  Spot the Isle of Man icons

There are two very famous symbols of the Isle of Man - the Manx Cat and the Legs of Man.  The cat is ‘a breed of domestic cat with a naturally occurring mutation that shortens the tail.  Manx cats are prized as skilled hunters, and thus have often been sought by farmers with rodent problems and been a preferred ship’s cat. They are said to be social, tame and active. An old local term for the cats on their home island is stubbin.’ (Wikipedia). You may not see a real Manx cat but there are plenty of them in souvenir shops.

The Legs of Man symbol depicts three legs, said to represent the wheels of the sun. This is known as a Triskelion and is also the symbol of Sicily. Its oldest representation is on the 12^th Century Manx Sword of State. My favourite depiction of this quirky symbol is the sculpture that greets you as you come out of the Airport.  See how many representations you can find during your stay – you’ll soon lose count!

2.   View Douglas Harbour from the Victorian Camera Obscura

One of the quirky legacies the Victorians left us is the Camera Obscura. In the days before TVs, cinema and the internet, these optical lenses were the latest technology and must have seemed quite magical. The Great Union Camera Obscura on the Isle of Man was purpose-built for the tourists rather than the more common astronomical use.  Even today, with all our amazing technology there is something awe-inspiring about viewing Douglas harbour and the surrounding scenery through the upturned mirror. You can get a glimpse of Observatory building in the photo of Sir Hillary above. Check opening times and the weather; If the flag is flying it’s open.

3.  Get a taste of the island with Manx Kippers

When I was a child we used to get the ferry to Douglas and Dad would head straight for the fish-mongers for his favourite treat – Manx kippers.  Traditionally herring fillets, caught locally, are smoked over oak chips in old smoke houses.  The best place to buy these is in Peel, on the island’s west coast.  The smell of smoking fish wafts all over this quaint harbour town so it’s not difficult to find the Peel Kipper House – just follow your nose. If you’re really taken with this local food, you can get a huge kipper bun at the harbour fish van – however, that was too much of a good thing for me … Dominating the town is Peel Castle, an evocative reminder of the land’s battle with invaders.  Whilst you’re in Peel make sure you visit the excellent House of Manannan which has a really interesting interactive history of the island.

4.  Discover the enormous Basking Shark

Basking shark – photo c/o boatrips-isleofman.com

Basking sharks, the world’s second largest fish visits these waters between May and August and come very close to land the plankton which floats on the water’s surface when it isn’t windy.  You’ve got a good chance of seeing them around Peel, Port Erin or Niarbyl.  If you want a better view there are plenty of boat trips. (I was supposed to go out on the good ship Pegasus on my last visit but the sea was too rough – another reason to go back.)  As well as basking sharks you may spot seals and a huge variety of sea birds including the funky puffin.

5.  Get a sensory history lesson in Castle Rushen

Castletown was originally the island’s capital and Castle Rushen is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Europe.  Norse kings fortified this strategic site guarding the entrance to the delightfully named Silverburn River.  Its impressive limestone walls overlook the little port and Nautical Museum and the castle can be seen for miles around.   Its courthouse is still in use and there are regular events throughout the season to entertain and attract visitors.  Inside there are interactive displays and evocative sights, sounds and even smells from centuries past.  The dining room recreates a banquet from medieval times with some very dodgy looking characters presiding over the table.  (For an even quirkier experience if you time it right, go across the road to the Old House of Keys where, for an hour or so, you can become a ‘member of the island’s parliament’ and ‘vote’ in a debate.)

6.  Step back in time at Cregneash Folk Museum

Heading south west towards the Calf of Man, a tiny rocky outcrop separated from the mainland by The Sound you pass a sign to Cregneash National Folk Museum.  Take time to stop and wander around this ‘living museum’.  The tiny thatched whitewashed cottages are still inhabited and on the working farm demonstrations of traditional crafts such as weaving, black-smithing and carpentry are given.  Sea birds swoop overhead, crazy-faced Loaghtan sheep bleat and baa and the delicious smell of home cooking drifts out from the Village Tea Room.  Step into simple St Peter’sChurch, one of many dotted around the island, and take time to embrace the tranquility its cool interior offers.

 7.  Pay homage to ‘Lady Isabella’

 No visit to the Isle of Man is complete without a trip to Great Laxey Wheel, named ‘Lady Isabella’  after Lieutenant Governor Hope’s wife.  Built in 1854, the world’s largest working water wheel has an impressive beauty that belies its industrial heritage.  It has a diameter of 72ft and a circumference of 227ft. It used to pump up to 250 gallons of water a minute from the nearby Laxey mines. These mines produced zinc, lead, copper and silver until 1929.  If you’ve a head for heights you can climb to the top of the wheel and if you’re not claustrophobic go underground in the mines to get an idea of the tough working conditions of the past.  Very close by is the temrinus for the famous Snaefell Mountain Railway (one of many quirky ways of getting around this isle).  This is slow travel at its best – a leisurely 5-mile ascent past the Laxey Wheel, the TT Course at Bungalow Station and on to the often cloud-bedecked summit at 2,000 feet.

I stayed in the lovely seaside town on Port St Mary at the very quirky Aaron House with its Victorian interior and afternoon tea to rival the Ritz.  Getting to the Isle of Man is simple: Manx2 has regular flights from around the UK and there are regular ferries, fast and slow, from Heysham, Liverpool, Belfast and Dublin.  Many thanks to Visit Isle of Man for a fascinating itinerary – they provide excellent tourist information on everything you need to know about the memorable and fascinating Isle of Man.

 Read more about the Isle of Man here

With winter on its way out and summer fast approaching, many of us are starting to think about that long awaited holiday. For time-poor families, getting away from it all offers the perfect opportunity to reconnect with loved ones.

According to a recent Daily Mail article, a holiday really is good for you. Aside from the obvious benefits of sunshine and fresh air, we eat better on holiday, exercise more, laugh more and sleep better, so investing money in the right break for you and your family is important.  Holidays add to our general sense of wellbeing, but it’s also important that it’s relaxing. This means finding the getaway that suits our family’s needs.  Seasoned parents accustomed to travelling with the tots in tow know that picking the right venue for the yearly getaway is vital when holidaying with children, and ensuring that the whole family will have plenty to keep them entertained while they are away is the key to a fun filled, stress-free break.

Weather is also an important factor. While the UK is great when the sun is shining, the unpredictability of our climate is often a major turn off for families, especially those with young children and teenagers.  With this in mind, the Canary Islands continue to rank in the top five holiday destinations for families looking for a chilled out week in the sun.

 Tenerife, with a manageable average flight time of just over four hours, is a popular choice. The largest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife offers year-round sunshine, modern resorts and various opportunities for day-trips and sightseeing.  The island is famous for its unusual lunar-like landscape, and a trip to Teide National Park is not to be missed: a cable-car ascent to the top of Mount Teide provides spectacular views of the surrounding landscape and great photo opportunities for the family album.

Siam Park – Tenerife

Another attraction to add to your Tenerife hit-list is Siam Park Tenerife. This is Europe’s biggest water-park and offers something to entertain all ages, from tots to teens. There’s a wave pool which will keep the toddlers happy, scream-inducing rides and slides for those hard-to-please teenagers, and a mini-aquatic park just for the kids.

Siam Park is extremely popular so it’s wise to book your family tickets in advance to avoid disappointment and to get the best price – sites such as Attraction World enable you to pre-order tickets and have them sent straight to your email inbox. It’s fast and convenient and will save you time and money while you’re away.  There’s also the option of purchasing a Siam Park twin ticket which combines entrance to Siam Park and Loro Parque, another top Tenerife attraction.

But that’s just the start: there’s plenty more to see and do on the island for days away from the beach. Families looking for educational days out may wish to take a trip to the Pyramids of Güímar – six rectangular pyramid style structures which are thought to date back to the 19^th Century.  The Botanical Gardens, one of Spain’s oldest botanical gardens, is also well worth a look with over 3,000 specimens of the world’s most unusual plants and trees.

They say that families who ‘play together stay together’, and with the options of sun, sea and sightseeing, Tenerife and its attractions ticks all the right boxes  when it comes to family fun in the sun …

This article is brought to you by Attraction World.

Did you know Tenerife has one of the biggest Carnivals in the world? Every year thousands of people visit the island for a lengthy festival of craziness, colour, exhuberance and yes, quirkiness.  You can read about my magical day at Tenerife Carnival here.