A week of pure bliss has come to an end.

I can’t believe we’re back already. Our week of winter sun truly didn’t disappoint.
Antigua was my 50th and best country. I can honestly say I’ve not had a holiday like it before. Huge thanks to Antigua and Peter for making it so special.
The cocktails were free flowing from about 11:00am (unless you class the breakfast mimosa as a cocktail?). We did start taking pictures each ‘cheers’ but we soon stopped as we realised if anyone looks at our photos we may look alcohol dependent.

We spent a lot of time on beautiful Long Bay beach. There are 365 beaches in Antigua - one for every day of the year. We loved the fact the beaches are open to the public so often we’d see the locals going for a swim and the kiddies running and giggling along the beach.
Pineapple Beach Club has as much or as little as you’d like to do. I’ll do a separate post purely on the resort but we definitely took advantage of all they had to offer (and not just the cocktails).
Peter was made up with the gym and we went pretty much every day (except for the one afternoon I napped and Peter went). The tennis courts were well maintained and I took part in a few classes.
My favourite class was the yoga on the beach at 7:30am. It was so relaxing and even when it rained (the five minutes of rain we had all week) it actually felt quite cleansing.
There were lots of water sports available too and Peter even did stand up paddle boarding (SUP) with me. He was adamant he didn’t want to do it but he wasn’t allowed to swim next to me so being the gent he is, he came out with me.

We were also lucky to be taken out on a hobi cat by the lovely Denis and he was telling us about life in Antigua. It sounded just as idyllic as we thought it would be. It seems like they work hard but the normal 40 hour per week. I think sometimes they have other jobs to pick up extra cash. But their downtime is spent fishing for dinner and swimming in the sea.

Although we were doing lots of things, we still had amble time simply relaxing. This resort knows how to relax with so many different ‘relaxation stations’ dotted around. One of my favourite moments was after we finished at the gym one evening, we then laid in a hammock for about an hour simply chatting and chilling.

I have been lucky to visit the Caribbean before but everything was so much more special with Peter. He was chatting to absolutely everyone and it was wonderful seeing how much he makes people smile (although some of his jokes were not understood by the locals).
The people also made this holiday perfect. Every single member of staff was so friendly and accommodating but also all the guests were friendly and even the locals when we were out jogging people would all say hello.
After spending so much time with Peter (it’s the longest we’ve been together the two of us), I’m so sad to be apart again. I know you always get along better on holiday but it honestly was so perfect between us. I truly loved every moment. Even if he didn’t listen to me about staying up late the first night to ensure we don’t wake up early and he slept through but I woke up 4:30am.
We’re so lucky to be heading back to the Caribbean in February. We’re super excited to explore new places together and spend more time together.
This trip has reminded me of a lovely saying I discovered in Costa Rica - Pura Vita. It means ‘simple life’ and that’s exactly what I want from the future.

Thought on Tenerife

I've always had fun when I've visited the Canary islands. I've visited Lanzarote twice, both times have been out of season, so I've enjoyed some winter sun. I booked this four night trip with my sister as her lovely hubby paid for the trip for her birthday.

The lead up to the trip was a tad stressful to say the least. Poor Tammey being ill and me stressed about my workload meant I really wasn't looking forward to going away. Usually I love the excitement and planning of a trip but even when I booked it, I was a little preoccupied and didn't do my full due diligence. This was certainly evident from some of the 'issues'.

Trying to make the most of the trip, I booked the earliest flight out. This meant being up at 2:30am and we arrived at the airport well in time to hit Weatherspoons and have a glass of wine at 4:00am. That's certainly the earlist time I've drunk wine before (I guess with the exception of partying into the early hours which hasn't happened that often).

We flew with Ryanair. I always say you get what you pay for but I think Ryanair are getting worse. Since changing their baggage policy, you now have to pay for even a small holdall bag. Luckily we were caught between the changes so we were able to bring a small handbag onboard and our small holdall bag went in the hold free of charge. I didn't get to sit next to Tammey but we did both get window seats which helped us have a little nap on route.

We flew into Tenerife South however we were staying in Tenerife North (first rookie error identified). Luckily I'd pre-booked shared transfers and the bus full of people were all heading to the North (it shows it wasn't just me with my error).

The actual drive time to Puerto de la Cruz (some 90km from the airport) was only an hour however the multiple drop offs to hotels took an additional 45 minutes. I was tracking our location on Google maps and we were so near to our hotel at one point yet it took another 20 minutes to be dropped off.

We stayed at Gran Turquesa Playa hotel on an all inclusive basis. I had read the reviews a few times and they seemed to be fairly mixed. It was only a three star hotel so I never expected too much however I was still a bit disappointed with a few things.

The actual hotel was lovely and clean. A nice big swimming pool, good size roomed and although the food wasn't the best, we did always find something to eat. What let the hotel down were the incredibly rude guests, mainly the Spanish.

They seemed to not follow basic social etiquette. For example, waiting for a table to be cleaned then just blurt something in Spanish then sat down. Or even pushing in front on the lifts when they could see Tammey uses a walking aid. Anyway enough of the negatives.

I love getting up on the first morning to go for a jog and explore the local area. This is the perfect way of getting my bearings and seeing the area when it’s nice and quiet.


The area of Puerto de la Cruz is a more traditional resort. It didn’t have the usual rows and rows of tacky shops selling yelping puppies and glowing things you throw up in the air. There were some traditional Spanish high street shops, restaurants and not an English/Irish pub in sight.

The beach was beautiful. Raw volcanic sand which glistened in the sun and was so soft underfoot. The sea was pretty rough but I actually enjoyed jumping the waves.

After quite a few days simply sunning ourselves by the pool (and of course day time drinking on the all inclusive package), we decided to hire a car on our last day. It was an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, explore the island and not be stuck on a transfer bus for hours.

The roads were good conditions and with google maps it was easy to navigate our way up the mountain to the Teide National Park. Now the navigation was the only simple thing. Whilst the roads had no pot holes, it didn’t make driving on narrow roads with a very steep incline easy. At one point there was a stop sign however I had such fear of rolling all the way back down that I may have ignored the sign and hoped for the best (we made it!).

The views driving up the mountain were incredible. The scenery along the way went from lush smelling pine trees to exposed rock face and finally a sandy land. It was hard to remember to concentrate on driving and not keep pointing out the window.

After a pit stop at the top and a little walk to stretch our legs, it was time to drive down the other side. It was much easier driving down than up! We decided to stop in Playa de las Americas for the afternoon.

We’d heard this side of the island is where the Brits tend to stay and from the large beer bellies and ample swearing we were welcomed with, it was indeed chav city de la Americas.

We stopped for some lunch at a horrible place where I found a hair in my food. After this we decided to check out the beach. It was again pretty choppy here but they’d created a cove so you could swim safely. After catching some last minute rays it was time to head to the airport.

I decided to quickly get changed in the car so whilst changing I didn’t realise there was a man sitting over the other side who got a very clear view of my tan lines - opps.

The flight home with Ryanair was as horrible as ever. Late flight and people waiting on the tarmac to board the plane when they were still offloading the last passengers. This obviously left no time to clean the plane which was evident when I pulled the tray table down and it was full of food - yuck.

Overall Tenerife is a nice island but I have no desire to return. Your choice is chavvy Brits or rude Spanish.

Biking, hiking and strange creatures

Our first holiday together has been wonderful so far. 

Croatia is an amazing country. The countryside is beautiful, a mix of dryness with the limestone rocky mountains and the stunning crystal clear Adriatic Sea. 

The people have been very friendly so far. The area we’re staying in, Podstrana, is right on the sea but doesn’t feel like a typical tourist destination. 

There are lots of small family run b n b style accommodation. It’s much nicer than commercial areas with huge hotels. 

We’re staying at Villa Pinocchio. I loved the name of the hotel and it’s about 15 meters from the sea - bliss.

We explored Split yesterday. We took the bus into the centre and discovered the area. I wanted to see Diocletian’s palace and it didn’t disappoint. 

Wandering through the small archways exploring the hidden treasures Split has to offer was fantastic and (yes I’m going to sound soppy) it’s been even more magical having Peter by my side. 

For years I’ve loved travelling. I’ve enjoyed my own company, I’ve loved my own agenda and answering to only myself however when you have the right person by your side, things just perfectly click into place. 

Peter loves being active, just like me, so we did a great workout on the beach yesterday. One legged squats and far too many hip exercises. 

After yesterday’s workout, I had the grand idea of hiring bikes. I wanted to visit Omis which is 13km away from our hotel. I figured it would be a nice flat ride. My god it was hard work. 

I’m used to riding my lovely light carbon fibre Specialize bike. Not this mammoth uber heavy mountain bike. Needless to say, my butt is sore. 

The cycle along the coast was lovely and didn’t take too long (maybe 40 mins). When we got to Omis, it was breathtaking. 

The mountains were huge and so exposed. Set against the beautiful blue waters in the sea and green waters in the canyon.

We wanted to visit the Fort. We realised there were two. After getting lost multiple times, we set back along the path (I may have told Peter is was wrong before).

After abandoning the bikes, we headed along a rocky path. I then looked up and saw the Fort. It was bloody miles away up high. I may have turned the air as blue as the sea - oh dear. 

However, being the stubborn cow that I am, I persist and despite my dodgy foot (soft tissue damage thanks to pole), it took us about an hour to get to the top. I made a joke that we better not have to pay to look around. We did have to pay, 150kn (about £1.75).

There was a little room at the top with a lovely man called Neina. He has to make that journey each day that he works. He was telling us he sometimes sleeps overnight, I don’t blame him. 

After taking in the magical views, it was time to head back down. Thankfully this was a lot quicker than coming up. Although it was a little more risky as the stones were marble and slippery. 

By this point it was around 3:30pm and we were starving. I definitely think we worked for our lunch so we stopped at a little restaurant in Omis. We ordered what we thought was a burger and chips but it turned out to be a more traditional dish, it was lovely. 

After lunch it was time to head back to our hotel. After the cycle here and the little hike (plus yesterday’s squats) my legs and butt were a little tender. 

Surprisingly it didn’t take too long to get back. Although it was later in the day, I couldn’t wait to head into the sea for a swim. 

Because there were thunderstorms overnight, the sea was a little murky but it was still beautiful. 

In the evening, we decided to walk along to the marina and we were admiring the incredible yacht’s when I noticed something black swimming in the sea. At first I thought it was a type of jelly fish, then maybe a squid and then after an extensive google search we discovered it was called a sea hare. 

These sea hares are native to the Caribbean so we have no idea how it came about to be in the Adriatic Sea. 

I can’t believe how quick the holiday has gone. This was always just a quick break (four nights) but I’m sad how fast it’s going. 

We’ve got a boat trip booked to explore the blue lagoon and some other islands so that’ll be fun. It’s been nice spending time with Peter and exploring country 49 together.