Blog – Bridge the Travel Gap

Overcoming the fear of travel costs

Travel costs are not just about the money. There are also the emotional, time and intellectual costs. Most bloggers seem to be fixated about the travel costs and how to save for trips. If your from New Zealand, like me, then travel overseas is always going to be expensive.

My first trip was at the age of 17, I saved for 2 years after leaving school to go to Holland. I flew with Air New Zealand which cured me of ever flying with Air New Zealand again internationally. I am sure the airline has improved but they lost a customer for life with me with the exception of domestic flights where choice is limited.

The six Beringe’s of Europe

Travelling to Holland was money well spent. I met my relatives and saw a part of Holland that foreign tourists hardly visit, Limburg. I experienced the true Dutch Carnival and learnt a new language. I also developed the travel bug. This post is not going to give you tips on how to save money or how to travel on less, it is going to discuss the fear of travel and what it costs in terms of time: intellectually and emotionally.

Show me the money

I have travelled due to save money and later on through my work in energy where I visited many countries to speak at conferences, run workshops and do field trips to assess projects. My 1 tip is get a university degree, does not matter what your degree is in although obviously some are more useful than others. I also have been lucky with my employers allowing me to stay on a few extra days in places to explore or tag on holidays.

When I travel for pleasure I save money and look for good deals and in this age of the internet there are many out there. I would start with trip advisor and googling the destination you are going to as there are literally thousands of blogs that have been written about visiting London, Angkor Wat, Hanoi or undertaking activities such as swimming with the manatee, the Tongariro Crossing to visiting Pompeii. Fear of the unknown is still there but you can be well armed with knowledge about your travel destination.

Time

This is a big one, I have been lucky to just quit my job and travel with twice being paid out a voluntary redundancy which enabled me to go for it. Other times you are limited by your vacation days. We have just finished a gap year in our middle ages and slowly travelled the world taking our time and not rushing. There is a lot to be said about slow travel. One book influenced my take on travel which I read in Turkey and it was Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Essentially, my take on the book was that it is not about reaching the destination it is about taking the time on the journey to see what is around you and being mindful.

Emotions

Travelling in many countries you will see things that will tug at your heart-strings. We saw a lot of poverty not just in developing countries but also in the USA. What can you do? My only rule is to be respectful and empathise. Another aspect of emotions are the wow factors who can visit Yellowstone Grand Canyon and not be stunned by the beautiful scenery or swim with dolphins in the wild and feel something. There also is anger about the inequity you see everywhere and the haves and have nots. There are also depression, envy and joy.

Great day out we leapt in Saigon with joy

Intellectually

Travel does cost you intellectually. What do I mean by intellectually is what you get out of the destination you are visiting whether it is learning about a new culture or understanding how that country operates and its history. We saw lots of young people on their gap year who were like fish out of water. They followed the crowd they were with from hostel to hostel, beach to beach, bar to bar with a few tourist sites thrown in. Of course that is not everyone and you are only young once. I did the same thing when I was in my 20s so feel I can cast stones. What I do see is that the internet has dumbed everything down, you are basically reliant on your phone. Which can save you time and money with information but my best memories are when I travelled in the 1980s through China and then the 90s without a phone.

What does it all mean?

There is both an upside and downside to travel. To overcome your fear of travel you have to travel and realise it is not all a bed of roses. It is not just about the financial costs of travel it is also what it does to you intellectually and emotionally as well as how much time you can afford to accomplish your goals and dreams. In the end all you are left with are your memories of experiences and much to the chagrin of my wife a lot of fridge magnets.

Debbie BridgeNovember 17, 2015November 16, 2015 Resources No Comments

Dublin to Belfast

After spending a few days in Dublin exploring the sights and sampling the Guinness we moved on to Belfast. I decided to book a Paddywagon Tour which left from Dublin to Belfast that allowed us to visit the Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-rede rope bridge and Dunluce castle. It made for a long enjoyable day and the bus stopped in the middle of Belfast not far from our hotel.

Overall the tour was excellent if a bit rushed in places. If your based in Dublin the Paddywagon Tours do several other trips including the Cliffs of Moher.

Giant’s Causeway

The Giant’s Causeway is a result of volcanic activity 60 million years ago resulting in 40,000 black basalt columns sticking out of the sea. The 70 hectare site is managed by the National Trust and there is an excellent interpretative centre. There is transport down the hill to the Causeway although we chose to walk there and back. I loved the legend of how the Giant’s Causeway was created and there is a great little film to watch in the centre which I will not spoil telling you the story here.

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It cost £9 for an adult and £4.50 for a child or £22 for a family ticket. If you pay on-line in advanced you will save £1.50 on adult admission, £1 on child admission and £3.50 on family admission. The shuttle down to the Causeway is operated by a separate company and they charge £15 each way for an adult and 50 pence for each child. I advise walking down the hill and if your tired get the shuttle back up.

Carrick-a-rede rope bridge

Another stop on our tour was the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge which you have to walk to and then cross over to a small island before returning the same way. The rope was first built by salmon fishermen in 1755. The rope is suspended a 100 feet or 30 metres above the sea and you are rewarded on the walk there and on the island of great views of the Causeway coast. Be warned if it is the busy season it is crowded and they have a warden there to manage the flow of people crossing the bridge. Allow around an hour to do the return walk.

The National Trust also runs this site and charges an adult: £5.90,Child: £3.00 and a family: £14.80.

Dunluce Castle

The last major stop we had on our tour was a photo stop of the Dunluce Castle. The ruined Castle is perched on a high promontory overlooking the sea. We did not have time to visit the castle inside which you can do for £5 and they also supply an audio tour. I would like to go back one day to explore it a bit more and learn more about its long history of over a 1000 years.

Overall we had a great day travelling from Dublin to Belfast enjoying the countryside and the bus drivers stories. The scenery was magnificent in places and well worth doing.

Debbie BridgeNovember 10, 2015September 19, 2022 Belfast, Dublin, Ireland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom No Comments

Five things to do in Dublin

5 things to do in Dublin

Molly Malone – the famous song and lady

In our previous post we talked about how to get from the airport to downtown Dublin, 3 accommodation options and the hop on hop off bus to orient yourself a bit to the layout of Dublin.

Dublin is a city with a long history and several famous authors came from Dublin including Oscar Wilde, James Joyce and Jonathan Swift. It is home to the famous Guinness Brewery. If this is your first visit I recommend the following 5 things to do in Dublin.

The Guinness Brewery

Dublin is where Guinness was discovered and the old brewery is now a visitors centre with several floors on the history and making of the famous brew. The tour ends with a stop at the Gravity Bar with some views of Dublin while you enjoy a freshly drawn Guinness. It cost 18 euros for an adult although if you purchase a Dublin Pass it is free and you are fast tracked with the queues. Since the Guinness Brewery is Ireland’s most popular tourist attraction it does get busy.

The National Gallery of Ireland

The National Gallery of Ireland is well worth a visit to see the various collections including paintings by Vermeer, Picasso, Monet, Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Titian. There is also an Irish collection of paintings and drawings which include the Yeats Collection. If the weather is a bit inclement the Gallery is a great place to visit and enjoy the masterpieces on display.

Entry is free.

Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol was built-in 1792 and closed in 1924. It is Ireland’s most famous jail where the 1916 Easter Rising Leaders were executed here. You can only take a guided tour which is excellent and you see the cells where famous prisoners were held and you are also asked to guess what famous films have used the Gaol as a set. The tour includes the place of execution of the Easter Rising Leaders.

The Gaol is around 3.5 kilometres from downtown Dublin and the hop on hop off bus stops here.

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the largest Cathedral In Ireland and over 800 years old. It is a place steeped in history and the final resting place of the author to Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift. His death mask is on display. He is famous for his quote about the poor of Ireland who eat their own children in his satirical essay of 1729, A Modest Proposal.

The Cathedral has seen a lot of turmoil around it.

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle has been at the heart of Dublin since it was built-in the 13th century. The English used the castle as the base to administer their rule over Ireland for 700 years. Today it is still used for formal state ceremonies, such as presidential inaugurations. Only guided tours are permitted in some areas and they are 45 minutes long.

These are 5 of the top things I would recommend in doing if it is your 1st trip to Dublin.

Seen any leprechaun’s, please report below or any other comments:

Debbie BridgeNovember 3, 2015October 25, 2023 Dublin, Europe, Ireland, Ireland, United Kingdom 2 Comments

Dublin is calling

Living in England and with my ancestors coming from Ireland I found Dublin is calling to me quite often. It is normally only a short flight to Dublin. However, we went once over New Year and the flight was delayed for 9 hours due to wind. Aer Lingus was a nightmare with no information or ground staff to assist except for someone who did not even work for the airline. Worse service we ever had with any airline. On other flights to Ireland with other airlines we had no problems and have visited Dublin several times.

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The centre of the city is a living museum from Trinity University, Dublin Castle to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral built-in 1220 and resting place of Jonathan Swift author of Gulliver’s Travels. In this post we will talk about five places we love to visit when visiting Dublin and also two options for accommodation.

Getting from the airport to Dublin

Dublin airport has excellent links to downtown Dublin. There are several bus companies and we have used the Airlink 747 bus which will take you directly to downtown with a few stops along the way. It costs 6 euros for a single or 10 euros for return. Tripadvisor has a good overview of all the bus companies and taxi options from the airport to your hotel as well as the costs for using the different operators.

If it is your first time to Dublin then consider purchasing a Dublin Pass for three days at 71 euros. The Pass includes free bus transfer from the airport and back as well as entry into 33 attractions around Dublin. However, it does not include transport to the attractions so you will have to make your own way to them. I think the pass is worth it if you are visiting the main attractions as well as saving time with the fast track and avoiding the pesky queues.

Where to stay in Dublin?

I have stayed at the Westbury Hotel in central Dublin. I was not impressed. It’s a five-star hotel but we had a small pokey room. Granted, I was there for business and the room was paid for by the host so I expect we got the cheapest one in the hotel. Facilities were all top-notch, breakfast was excellent and the location was perfect for sightseeing right in the heart of Dublin.

Another hotel I stayed at was the Best Western Plus Academy Hotel which is a little walk from the centre. This is a nice hotel but has a few drawbacks and the 1st is it’s near a nightclub. If you get the wrong room you will hear the music, we were lucky and had rooms at the back of the hotel so were not bothered. The facilities were good and not stellar. Breakfast was a buffet with lots of variety. This is a solid three star hotel. A big plus is that the hop on hop off bus started its route opposite the hotel which was brilliant. Another plus factor is that the bus from the airport stops directly opposite the hotel.

At the bottom of the pile but by no means a bad hotel was The Townhouse Hotel which is a combination of a hotel with backpackers next door. Ideally the Airport bus stops at the hotel. The actual house was built around 1808 and has had some colourful owners including an actor and on the walls of the hotel are playbills from his plays. This is a basic hotel and do not expect luxury but for a few nights and if your on a budget it is in a good location and I would stay here again.

Do this first in Dublin

Get a hop on hop off Green bus ticket. There are two tours and we have done both. The original route takes you to 23 stops and takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes. The second route takes you around the Dublin Docklands with 8 stops and takes 35 minutes. The ticket cost 22 euros for two days and you can get a 15% discount if you book online. I would advise to stay on the bus and do the Guinness Brewery first to get it off the list. We did the tour a few times including just staying on the bus and taking in the views.

Our next post will discuss our five favourite places to visit in Dublin.

Debbie BridgeOctober 27, 2015March 10, 2018 Dublin, Europe, Ireland, Ireland No Comments

To fear travel or not to fear travel

To fear travel or not to fear travel? To paraphrase Hamlet that is indeed the question.

Over the years I have had the opportunity to travel widely for pleasure and work. Growing up in New Zealand you are truly in the back of beyond. Happily I had a Dutch father and relatives in Holland which always excited my imagination. At the age of 14, I left school and for 3 years I saved furiously. Once I had enough money saved I booked a ticket to Holland and ended up in the small village of Beringe.

: One of the many windmills

: More tulips

: The other Beringe’s

: My three aunts with me and my wife

Travel enables you to do a lot of firsts. My first big trip to Holland enabled me to see my Dutch relatives for the first time, snow, eat raw herrings, celebrate carnival and learn to speak Dutch. The 2 years I spent in Holland were enjoyable and awakened the travel bug in me for life.

I am too scared to travel

Travelling will get you out of your comfort zone. Many people spend a lifetime not getting out of their comfort zone. Over the years I have met many people who for various reasons wanted to travel but in the end have stayed nearer to home. The main reasons range from financial, family and fear of the unknown. Fear has a habit of becoming a habit and the media today has an important role in stoking that fear. Bad things do happen but they can happen at home or abroad.

I chose to travel because I love it and not to tick off all the great wonders of the world or to broaden my mind.

I do not know if travel broadens the mind, I seriously doubt it after 35 years of going back and forth between Europe, NZ, living in Holland, backpacking through SE Asia, China, Egypt and India – all before the internet.

Travel will create lasting memories: be it a sunset over the Sinai desert, seeing the end of the great wall of China or walking along the Seine between the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame in the early morning. Memories are wonderful treasures and they are something no-one can take away from you.

Last year we spent a gap year going around the world, making some wonderful memories, meeting wonderful people and seeing some amazing sights. Did it broaden my mind? No. Was I scared only a few times in New Orleans and some dodgy driving in India? Yes. What I do have now are some great memories and experiences. Best one swimming with a baby manatee for half an hour in Florida. Another one was our recent visit in New Zealand to Zealandia.

Why travel?

I travel because I am curious and like to see new places. You may want to travel to see the seven wonders of the world be it the Great Wall of China or the Eiffel Tower. Everyone has different goals. You may want to learn a new language or try a cuisine you love in the country it was invented. Vietnam springs to mind for me and the great food we had during our trip.

Vietnamese food

What’s stopping you?

If its money then you can travel on a limited budget. We did and had a ball. If its fear, what is that fear, being robbed, getting sick or missing home. In terms of crime that can happen anywhere and if you take precautions it is preventable. We were mugged in Athens by bag snatchers. Lost a passport, credit cards and a handbag. No one was hurt and we are still here and we managed to have an amusing story of how my wife got back into the UK without a passport at Gatwick airport with no problems at all.

Getting sick, well I have had countless bouts of food poisoning on my travels for work and pleasure. On the last years trip I, miraculously, did not get sick once and of course we had a first aid kit with antidotes for the dreaded Delhi belly. If you miss home well they do say absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Go Travelling

I recommend go travelling it may not broaden your mind but you will have fun. You will meet friendly people and you will see some amazing sights and more importantly you will have memories to cherish and look back at the adventures you experienced. The best experience I have had travelling is meeting my future wife Debbie in Brighton. If I had never travelled I would not have met the love of my life. So what are you waiting for?

: A lovely sunset

: Mountie for a few minutes

: The gang just before our Milford Fjord Cruise

: At the crossroads

Debbie BridgeOctober 20, 2015January 7, 2020 Resources, Travel, Uncategorized 2 Comments

A visit to Quillan in Southern France

France is a wonderful country to visit. Paris is one of the most visited cities by tourists in the world. The Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Seine, Notre Dame, Montmartre and the list goes on. I always enjoy visiting Paris whether for work or pleasure. I have escargot and confit duck washed down with some French wine. However, France is not just Paris although some Parisians would tell you it is. In this post we talk about a visit to Quillan in Southern France and one of our favourite cities, Carcassonne. I also have listed some interesting facts about France.

Some Facts about France

France is slightly smaller than the state of Texas

France has a population of 63 million

France has never won the Rugby World Cup.

France has won the World Football Cup.

France vineyards are planted with New World cuttings and plants, due to a disease that decimated the wine industry.

Paris is the city it is today because of Napoleon.

Napoleon also was responsible for the United States doubling in size with the Louisiana Purchase.

Quillan near Carcassonne

I love visiting France and a few years ago we had the pleasure of staying with friends in the South of France at a place called Quillan, near Carcassonne. Quillan is near the foothills of the Pyrenees. It is a small town and connected by good transport links to Carcassonne by road and train.

Quillan is a lovely spot to base yourself to explore the surrounding area or to just buy some delicious wine and cheese. For those interested in history there are lots of Knights Templar spots and a legend of a hidden treasure in the hills.

The great place about the village of Quillan is the lovely buildings and the river Aude running beside it surrounded by hilly countryside, ideal for walks. Our friends have an apartment they rent out and if your interested just click to inquire at Quillan accommodation.

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Carcassonne

Carcassonne is split into two cities. There is the medieval city with the Carcassonne Citadel on the hill overlooking the new town and the river. The attractive city with its double wall surrounding the entire town is a sight to behold and, also, is a UNESCO world heritage site.

After the Eiffel Tower, Carcassonne is the 2nd most visited tourist attraction in France.

The history of Carcassonne and how it was saved is interesting. I would recommend just hiring the audio guide and wander around the rampart walls and visit the Chateau. If you are lucky there may also be a show on in the evening at the amphitheatre. It’s best to admire Carcassonne from a distance during the day or night.

Inside is a tourist trap with overpriced shops and restaurants. However, it is worth wandering around and enjoying the ambience and sitting in the square for a coffee or two. Whatever you do try to arrive early in the morning or late in the afternoon, avoid the middle of the day when it is busy with coach loads of tourists.

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Debbie BridgeOctober 14, 2015October 25, 2023 Europe, France 1 Comment

Finding a hotel to stay in Paris

Paris the city of love

I have been lucky to have visited Paris for pleasure and work. It has given me the opportunity to explore this beautiful city and all it has to offer. The food, culture and its many attractions from the Eiffel Tower to the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral. The Eurostar makes getting to Paris from London a breeze. Paris is an expensive city and over the years I have discovered finding a hotel to stay in Paris does not need you to take a second mortgage.

: Eiffel tower

: View from the top

: Notre Dame

Finding a hotel to stay in Paris

There is a lot of accommodation in Paris for the budget, Airbnb to the luxury traveller. I have found the best places to stay to be the middle of the range hotels. Luxury hotels are nice but I always seems to get the tiniest of rooms and everything is overpriced from the breakfast to a nightcap at the bar. I am a fan of Best Western hotels as you get a good standard compared to other brand names. I have stayed comfortably several times at different Best Western hotels in Paris, aside from the occasional tiny bathroom. However, tiny bathrooms seems to be a Parisian prerequisite for all hotel rooms.

Best Western Paris Italie

I have stayed several times at the Best Western De Weha. I love the location near Place d’Italie. I found the hotel ideal when arriving from London on the Eurostar. There is a direct Metro Line from Gare du Nord (M5). The rooms are basic, but everything you need is there and it fits the bill for Parisian standards and a 3 star hotel.

Service is excellent and during one stay I changed rooms when my TV didn’t work with no problems at all. I suggest asking for a room not facing the street or on a higher floor as there is a bit of minor road noise.

There are plenty of restaurants nearby but they can be a bit hit and miss. There is a lovely Japanese restaurant beside the hotel. Nearby is park you can reach in a few minutes. The park offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and a place to enjoy some green space. The metro is a few minutes walk from the hotel and you can be quickly in central Paris.

If you like shopping behind the hotel is a large shopping centre with the famous Parisian department store ‘Le Printemps’.

Best Western Tour Eiffel Invalides

The Best Western Tour Eiffel Invalides is ideally located for sightseeing. It is a five-minute walk to Napoleon’s Tomb and the Army Museum. The Eiffel tower is a 15-20 minute walk and there are a multitude of good restaurants nearby in the Rue de Cler area. If you are arriving on Eurostar at Gare du Nord, take Metro line 4 in the direction of Porte d’Orleans and get off at Strasbourg-St Denis. From here take Metro line 8 in the direction of Balard and get off at La Tour Maubourg. The hotel is literally a few minutes walk in the direction of the Seine river and if all goes well it will take just over half an hour from Gare du Nord.

: Louvre

: Paris Bridge

I stayed in room 61, perfectly adequate, very comfortable bed and slept very well, safe in the room and there was even coffee and tea making facilities.

My only bugbear was the shower head was awful, although there was a bath option.

The Staff are courteous and helpful in giving directions to the sights.

Logis Jardin De Villiers

An alternative to a Best Western is Logis Jardin De Villiers located near the Villiers metro stop on the Number 2 metro line. The hotel is around a 10 minute walk. from the metro. I loved the neighbourhood and the restaurants around it. However, my room was a bit noisy as it was beside the road. The walls of the room were also thin and lets just say my neighbours proved Paris is truly the city of love. I stayed only one night and had an adequate breakfast. If you want to stay in a residential neighbourhood then this hotel is ideal. The hotel is also in walking distance of the Arc de Triomph. I, also, have read that the hotel has recently been renovated and has free wi-fi.

There you have it, 3 suggestions for middle of the range hotels in Paris which will not break the bank.

Have you ever stayed in Paris and found a good hotel to stay? Let’s us know below.

Debbie BridgeOctober 6, 2015November 15, 2024 Europe, France No Comments

Dieppe a lovely coastal town

The small coastal town of Dieppe is infamous for a disastrous raid in World War II to test German defences.The raid involved 6000 soldiers, mostly Canadian. It was a complete failure and over half the soldiers were killed, captured or injured. None of the objectives of the raid were completed. It can only be hoped that some of the lessons from the raid were applied to the successful invasion of Normandy.

The town today is a lovely spot to visit and enjoy the seafood. It is also a bit of a pilgrimage site for Canadians to visit and to find out more about the Dieppe raid. There is a museum and there are spots marked throughout the town where the Canadians fought and died. We visited Dieppe one weekend to meet up with our Canadian nephew on a school trip visiting WWI and WWII sites where Canadians fought.

How do you get to Dieppe?

One of the advantages of living in Hove is that we can pop over to Dieppe on the ferry from New Haven. If you’re a pedestrian it will cost just £20 for a one way ticket to Dieppe and double that for a return. Cars cost around £78 each way. The ferry ride to Dieppe is 4 hours. Buses meet the ferry or you can take a taxi into town or walk. We chose to walk into Dieppe and it took around 20 minutes to get to the centre of Dieppe. Another option is to continue on to Paris, which is a few hours away, by train.

Where we stayed?

We chose to spend a few days in a lovely hotel besdie the seaside, although now, I would probably choose to stay at an AIrbnb. We stayed at the Inter-Hotel De Plage. We did not like our first room and changed to Room 001 which was lovely. It was a great room, excellent mattress with a shutter that comes down to give complete darkness and a good nights sleep. There is only a shower in the room which was perfectly fine for us. The location of the hotel was goog, only a few minutes walk to the beach or around five minutes to the centre of town.

What to do in Dieppe?

There is plenty of places to visit in Dieppe. We were lucky in having fine weather during our entire stay and did a lot of walking in and around the town. I would, particularly, recommend a walk above the town on the hill-side where there is a great track with wonderful views.

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The town has a beautiful harbour where there are lots of cafes and restaurants to eat and enjoy the view. We, especially, liked eating out in the inner harbour. We had a feast of seafood and enjoyed the sunshine at several of the restaurants situated beside the harbour.

Carving in Gothic Church, Dieppe

The other three places we would recommend visiting is the Saint Jacques gothic Church

which was built between the 12th-16th century. There is a small museum near the beach about the Dieppe Raid, it is called the Le Memorial 19 du Aout 1942.

Theatre which is now a memorial museum for th raid on Dieppe of Canadian soldiers.

Chateau over Dieppe

The last thing to see is the Chateau De Dieppe with its impressive panoramic views of the town and coastline.

Dieppe is well worth a visit to experience France, its food and culture as well as a bit of history.

(estimated costs in this article are at 2015)

Debbie BridgeSeptember 29, 2015October 9, 2021 Europe, France, Travel No Comments

Pets? What do you do?

This is Missy, the one on the bed, with our neighbrours cat - best mates!

This is Missy, the one on the bed, with our neighbours cat – best mates!

Often in my travels people say they can’t do what I’m doing because they have pets to look after. Well, I’m here to dispel this myth. Pets are lovely and I’ve had many over the years. Yes, they do require extra planning, but you have that any way, so I don’t see it as an extra burden to sort to be able to still travel.

So what have I done over the years to sort the pets out?

There are many avenues and these are the ones I’ve found to work.

1. What do you do with them?

Friend/Neighbour, great way to get to know your neighbours better or find a friend who is either willing to stay in the house or come and do the daily duties that said pet needs. I know I have had a list of people, so don’t rely on that one friend or neighbour – have many and then it’s easier to find someone if your favourite pet carer isn’t available.

2. Options for Pet Care

Pet sitting sites, now these range from paid to non paid and are often found under house sitting, so you get the added bonus that your pet and home are well looked after. These range in free to small fee to full fee people. I’ve only ever used the free and its worked out well. I’ve been also been on the other side of the fence and pet sat as well, in fact, in a few weeks I’ll be doing this again – it’s for a friend. I love to pet sit when I can and it’s meant, when I’ve been abroad and done this, that I had a free, often, beautiful place to stay with the added bonus of pet love! I only use sites where people are police checked and have references, so you can find reliable, pet and house loving people who save you from that worry of looking after your ‘fuzzy friends’ as I like to call them. Also, you can find anyone from someone who will look after house, rabbits, birds, etc. You name it and they are likely to be on these sites!

Mind My House

Trusted House Sitters

House Carers

This is Spike – the rock star dog – who I looked after while staying in Vancouver

Micky, my parents cat, who walks on a lead.

3. Happy Fuzzies when you come home!

Is your local vet or pet hotel. Now you can either put them up in these places or they may know of local services where you pay to have them either come and stay in your home or just do the daily duties for your pet. These offer more guarantees with them than the top 2, but, to be honest, I’ve not had any problems with my pets being well cared during my time away by using the ones above. I would use this one as more of a last resort or, if like us where options are limited. When we were traveling across the US with my parents and their pet cat, we all went on a cruise. Mikey the cat needed a pet hotel, so we looked one up, checked it out and he had a vacation as well as us. He came back happy and healthy. Another thing to note, if like us, you are traveling in an RV, which broke down a few times, so we had to find some accommodation which would allow pets, now some hotels do, but, also, check out Air BnB, we found a place in Lethbridge, Alberta which took all 4 of us in with the cat! It was amazing and a lovely place to stay. The couple who ran the listing ran a pet store and had a beautiful dog and cat of their own!

Our Lethbridge dog companion – he didn’t interest my parents cat at all!

I say, if you really want it, there is a way and you can find the right person for the job, as many say they just don’t think anyone can look after their ‘fuzzy’ or ‘not so fuzzy’ friends like they can. Maybe not, but I say, the pet is always really happy to see you when you get back and that is always a great thing to come home to and, to be honest, it’s not in the persons interest to leave your home or pet in a worse state then when you left. I know when I have been the house sitter or pet carer for someone else, I try to leave everything as it was when people left or better, if I can! I’ve just been so grateful for the place to stay and the lovely little friends to make it feel more like home.

What things have you done that I haven’t mentioned with your pets? What pet stories and travel do you have?

How can anyone resist that face? This was a house sit where the owners were worried the cats wouldn’t like me, as you can see – I’m a pro at pet love!

Debbie BridgeSeptember 21, 2015October 4, 2015 Travel Tips, Uncategorized 2 Comments

Day trips from London

If you’re visiting London for several days you may want to consider a couple of day trips from London. The two-day trips we are going to talk about today are a visit to the iconic seaside in Brighton and to step back in time to Rye. Rye is a little known preserved medieval smugglers town near London. A visit to Brighton is always fun and millions do it every year.

How to get there?

The best way for visitors in London to visit Brighton or Rye is by train. If you are planning on doing several train trips from London then we suggest you purchase a Railway Network Card for £30. Only one card is needed for up to 4 people travelling together. It will save you money, but can only be used anytime on weekends and during the week in off peak. To illustrate the savings, a ticket for two people departing after 10am will cost £31.70 each without a Network Card. If you purchase it with a Railway Network card it will cost £20.95 each. If you are travelling with four people to Rye the cost of your Network Card is covered with one trip and you also save an additional £10. The Network Card is valid for a year. The card does not cover the whole of the UK so do check to see the places you can use it for which include Oxford, Canterbury, Cambridge and Portsmouth.

If you want to go for the day, the best option to get to Brighton is to buy a return day ticket from Victoria train station. A fast train will get you to the seaside in just over an hour or if you are on a slower train add another half hour. A good option to consider and save time is to purchase a train ticket with a Plusbus ticket, which gives you cheap bus travel all around Brighton. To find out more you can visit www.plusbus.info for details.

For one day a normal return train ticket will do, but you can get bus passes which last for longer than a day. The single tickets are very expensive, so you are best to get something that covers more, if you are going to use the bus more than once in the day.

Brighton

If you are only doing a day trip to Brighton we would suggest the following three things to do. If you have a bit more time click here about more things to do, see and eat around Brighton.

1. After arriving by train walk down the hill towards the sea until you see on your left the infamous Brighton Pier and on the right the derelict West Pier. The 1899 Brighton Pier is a must visit. The shops, food and amusement park at the end are all part of the fun in a day trip to the seaside for the English.

Be careful how you eat your food while wandering around the pier. Brighton seagulls are notorious for swooping from the sky to steal your ice cream or chips. Brighton Pier also has a colorful history with rumours of how the now derelict West pier was torched to reduce the competition. Who doesn’t love a conspiracy theory. The pier has a small amusement park at the end complete with roller coaster and a few other rides. To wander around the pier is free.

2. The Royal Brighton Pavillion was finished in 1823 by the famous Nash. To me it is just simply hedonism gone mad. George IV had a vision and either love it or hate it, the building is unique. It is a lesson of why Royals should never be allowed to advise on the design of buildings, take heed Prince Charles! It is great to wander around inside and see the opulent surroundings and learn about the history of the building. It is also nice to relax and sit on the lawn to have a snack or drink while admiring the craziness of the building that combines Indian, Chinese and English architecture styles into one glorious mess. It is owned and run by the council now after Queen Victoria declined to use it preferring the Isle of Wight.

3.The North Laines and the (South) Lanes are great to just wander down and get lost. Think the Shambles of York without the class. You will find over priced shops everywhere and occasionally a bargain at some of the flea markets. If you are hungry there are lots of restaurants in the lanes. One of my favourites for some great Japanese food and for those on a budget is Pompoko, opposite the Brighton Dome theatre.

Rye

The town of Rye is only a 45 minute train ride from St Pancras train station in London. However, you do have to change trains to get there which is very simple. The high-speed trains from St Pancras station to Ashford International take just 37 minutes. You then need to change at Ashford International for a train to Rye which takes around 20 minutes. The other train options all require changes and take two hours to get to Rye. Click to the link here for more information about train times and fares. Once you reach Rye, everything is in walking distance, so don’t need any public transport to get round it.

Rye is a wonderfully preserved medieval town. It was a well-known haunt for smugglers.The town is lovely to wander around and visit the 900 year old Norman Church of St Marys. The 1420 built Mermaids Inn is a smugglers local drinking spot where you can stay or enjoy a meal. The remnants of the wall and Ypres tower, a place that was used as a prison, mortuary and private residence are worth a look. It is now a museum where you can climb to the top and see what was once a harbour but now is grasslands.

Town Crier in Rye

The town is lovely to stroll around on the cobbled streets with lots of shops and places to visit.

The Rye museum is interesting and earlier Rye was the home of many famous writers and artists. One of the best known is Henry James Georgian, Lambs House, a National Trust property, where James lived for many years. The house was built in 1722 and was fit for a king as in 1832 the King slept there.

: Main medival street in Rye

: Rye castle

Rye is a lovely town and do check to see what events they may have on before you go.

For more information on things to do in and around Rye then click here.

Where are your favourite short trips from London?

Debbie BridgeSeptember 15, 2015October 25, 2023 Brighton, England, London, Travel, United Kingdom 3 Comments