Sights of Seville

I have been to Majorca a few times but a recommendation to Portals Nous swayed my decision of where to go for a long weekend in the sun. Flight is 2.5 hours, transfer from the airport less than half an hour and the hotel Tomir Suites was just perfect. The hotel was fabulous, great rooms, service, food, bars and pool area. Adult only, stylish and accommodating for couples and groups of friends alike. The harbour area is a 15 minute walk away where there are plenty high end restaurants and bars to sit and watch the world go by, shop or take a look at the stunning yachts moored next to the promenade. The beach is nearby, very chilled vibes, nice cafe that serves snacks and more importantly Sangria. There are regular buses and taxis if you want to visit Palma for some sightseeing or Palma Nova/ Magaluf for some nightlife. Portals Nous has everything you need for a perfect trip. I will definitely be going again!

March I think is a lovely time to have a little break and soak up some winter sun, and for me it was Lanzarote this year. We stayed in 2 different resorts this time, 5 nights in Playa Blanca and 4 nights in Costa Teguise - a great way to experience the different resorts the island has to offer. The hotels were both really lovely and would happily recommend, if you are thinking about visiting Lanzarote - give me a call.

I think Amsterdam is a wonderful place to visit any time of the year but a nice, crisp Spring morning strolling the streets and canals without the crowds is a delight. There is so much to do or so little if you prefer to simply sit in the many cafe bars people watching. We visited Anne Frank Haus and the Bodyworld Museum whilst there this time. Both 'must see' to be believed destinations, very informative, shocking in places and very thought provoking. There is plenty culture with several Art galleries to visit, Flower Markets or simply hire a bike and pedal around the City exploring, take a boat cruise, walk the 9 Streets area with its fabulous shops and eateries. There is also the seedier sights for which Amsterdam is famous for, which can also be visited or avoided easily depending on the audience. This is a fascinating city for every taste. I have been several times and always love to go back and explore a different hotel in a different area to get the full picture of the place. I would highly recommend as a weekend away, short flight, plenty to do and talk about when you get home!

During the months of January and February 25 we ran our ''Pack your bags'' competition ! Julie picked out the 2 winning customers from the prize drawer on the 1st March 25 and they were both over the moon with the sets of luggage the won ! Thank you to all our amazing customer that booked during this period you certainly kept us all very busy.

New Orleans I visited New Orleans known the locals as the ‘Crescent city’ or ‘Big Easy’ at the end of January with 3 friends, this was during the Mardi Gras period which runs from 6th January each year until Fat Tuesday which is always the day before Ash Wednesday (so changes each year!). On the Saturday night I was able to enjoy one of the Mardi Gras parades that are on selected days during the build up to the big event itself. The parade was huge and went on for over 3 hours, it was a sci-fi parade and great to experience. New Orleans is such a fabulous city with a great vibe, if offers lots of live music, located on the Mississippi river and has lots of history to offer. It is home to one of the largest WWII museums in the world. You can take a tour out to the Plantation Homes for black slave history, the city has a lot of Spanish architecture and French colonial buildings. I visited the Whitney Plantation, this is located hours’ drive out of the city by coach, it was very sad to see and interesting at the same time. During my 5 nights stay I visited the famous French Quarter - home to Bourbon Street, here is the real hub of the city with bar after bar offering all types of live music from morning until night. Frenchmen is where the locals hang out and here you will find jazz bands galore. This area is compact, and you can easily walk around this area, it has many restaurants from fast food to fine dining it offers something to suit everyone’s budget. Another highlight of my trip was taking the steamboat Natchez up the Mississippi river for an afternoon jazz cruise in the sunshine. Here I just sat back and watched the world go by while listening to the band playing in the background. For any sports enthusiasts it is home to the Smoothie King area and Superbowl area, I had the pleasure of attending a basketball game while I was there and this was fantastic to experience even if you’re not a fan like me, it was a night of fun and entertainment! Home to many swamps I did an excursion 40 mins out of town to the beautiful Bayou, here you can board a hovercraft or river boat and head out to see the wildlife of the area including herons, birds, racoons and alligators (depending on the time of the year). This was another great morning. There are trams (street cars) that operate in and around New Orleans, I took the old tram line – St Charles Avenue Line out towards the Garden District where you get a real feel for the community, many interesting, mansions/houses can be seen along the route. It cost 3 euros per day to use all the public transport around the city. On the same day we took the included ferry across the river to Algiers Point, this is a key part of the black slave trade history and is like going back in time and is home to a typical English pub if you fancied a pint! I did the hop on hop off bus tour and guided walking tours of the French Quarter and Garden District which were great and informative. The city is great to explore at leisure as a city break or in conjunction with one of the many cruises that operate from here to Mexico and Caribbean Islands. I absolutely loved this city and I feel it has something to offer everyone! I hope to visit again one day with my family. I flew direct from London Heathrow with British Airways in economy class, the outbound flight took 10 hour 40 mins and on the return I was lucky to book business class which was amazing and the flight home took 8 hours.

I decided to visit Malaga with 5 of my friends for a special birthday. I had heard so many good things about the city from Ruth and our clients. It did not disappoint, we all loved it and all said we will return ! In December, Malaga City is decorated with many Christmas decorations including the most beautiful Malaga lights and the nightly projection show on the Cathedral. I stayed in the centre of the historic district, a mainly pedestrianised area, with cobble streets and hundreds of tapas, roof top bars and restaurants. There is a ancient roman amphitheatre, a castle and Alcazaba fortress that are worth a visit and the entrance fees are only 5.50 euros for both the Castle and the Alcazaba. Malaga is mainly flat except where the castle is located, it offers panoramic views over the bay of Malaga, you can get a bus, taxi or walk up to the castle 675 metres uphill to the top! We enjoyed a tapas/wine walking tour that explored the Atarazanas Market hall and surrounding neighbourhood, we had a fab tour guide called Jose and we tried lots of local tapas. I enjoyed a 10km walk for sunrise, as you can see from the photo the sunrise was stunning. I walked along the promenade and a couple of miles out of town where the beach is. The Malaga Marathon was taking place and the atmosphere was buzzing around the harbour area. On our last day we enjoyed a private Flamenco dance lesson and enjoyed a sunset cruise from the harbour. Malaga is a great city to explore on foot, it is suitable for all ages and only 20 minutes from the airport !

Copenhagen in Winter is extra special. Very cold, very pretty and a festive delight. The city is extremely walkable but there are trams, metro and also bike hire as bikes are in a majority here. I did not trust myself to try this option but maybe next time. The architecture is stunning with museums, churches and beautiful squares to explore. Cafe culture here is paramount and even the cold does not stop people sitting out, blankets, table heaters and seat warmers are everywhere to keep you snuggled while you sit with a wine, people watching. The Danish have an extremely stylish spirit and the clothes shops are a must for the fashionistas as are their home ware stores. We took a River Cruise which was a lovely experience and we could see parts of this wonderful city we did not know existed. Carlsberg Brewery Tour is a must, Tivoli Gardens was fabulous and very festive, Christmas Markets are quaint and pretty, a must. I would also love to visit in Spring/Summer as it is such a clean. vibrant city and has lots to offer whatever the season.

In September I visited Cala’n Bosch, a lovely resort located on the southwest coast of Menorca. Our hotel had direct access to a pretty cove with powder fine, white sand and a beautiful turquoise sea. The marina area, lined with lots of restaurants was only a short stroll away. The resort is suitable for people of all ages. The buses are very efficient and reasonably priced and local boat trips are readily available. A great holiday was had and I would definitely return one day!

The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.