Good evening friends, I believe I have fully adjusted back to reality or enough to bring you this post anyway! I hope you have all been well and enjoyed your travels/holidays this summer and for those still to go, I hope you can really enjoy the time you have away from home… As I write this I am watching Wimbledon on TV, supporting Andy Murray of course but I quite like Nadal and Federer as well. Anyway, let’s get into this post before I ramble on about something else!
When I decided to go on this adventure, to Costa Brava and to the Luna Park, I knew that I would be going there more for the relaxation aspect than the hardcore travel side of things… I do consider myself a traveller instead of a holiday go-er but maybe this time was closer to what many would call a holiday, but for me it was about that all important mental recouperation. I had been stressed/anxious and who knows what else before I went so I needed that me time which Luna Park offered.
To anyone interested in going here, I would say or advise you that if you are like me then you might want to insist on a pool side room as it was a little off-putting for me when I got a room overlooking the car park when there were nicer views to be appreciated.
Once I moved room things got better and the experience was great! The staff were friendly, the classes were good fun, the chocolate therapy was amazing and the drinks! Well, they were very tasty indeed… The only fault I had was with the food for the most part which is probably why I will never go half board again but I won’t linger on that too much. The entertainment was enjoyable but it depends on what you like, some nights they had local singers and other nights they had DJs. Another piece of advice I would give you is to be brave and make friends, it will give you that nice family feeling…
Next time… I would like to be within walking distance of the beach again but a little closer to a city maybe? And hopefully I will know some more Spanish by that point as it kind of hit me that I knew so little when I was trying to talk with the locals… But I will get there for sure!
This was pretty brief but I believe that sums things up pretty well! If you have any questions regarding the Luna Park hotel or area I was in then please ask away, until next time though, take care ~*
Good evening friends! Sorry it took so long to get this to you, the transition between landing back in Scotland late at night and starting work this morning was a fairly rough one, I must make a note to ask for the day after a flight home off for future adventures! Anyways, let us step a few days into the past where the heat still caressed my pale Scottish skin and where it was always 5 o’clock somewhere…
As my friends left us on the morning of the Saturday after breakfast and I took some time to myself for some peaceful contemplation in their absence before taking part in some more body and mind healing activities the hotel had to offer.
It all began with some yoga before my first time attempt at Tai Chi; I am a fan! There was a random game of darts thrown in there before a small break to refresh myself with two cocktails and some journal writing
Afterwards, a perfectly tipsy version of myself practiced some archery (who knew two strong cocktails would make for a better shot!) And walked away with a cheesy diploma, hotel style! After a masterclass in massages, I was completely zoned out and after another wee refreshment headed for some food before going to dreamford-shire for the night…
On the Sunday I checked out of my room but before I left Luna Park, I took part in a mantra class and had another cocktail before bidding the Luna park with its lovely staff and Costa Brava a good farewell…
My next post will be a full summary with tips and advice on the experience as a whole with some life hacks thrown in for fun! I hope to post it if not this week then next as I adjust back to reality so watch this space… Until then, I hope you have enjoyed reading of my adventures and there are more to come in the near future. Until my next post, take care my friends…
Good evening friends! How have you all been? Have you enjoyed summer so far? Have you had adventures of your own? Feel free to share them in the comments so that I can be further inspired in my travels…. Another one of my adventures took me through the visions of one of my favourite artists of all time, Salvador Dali!
I have loved his paintings and sculptures since high school… Which was a very long time for me! The first place we went to (I say we for I went with a group on a bus tour) was castle of Púbol which hosted some of Dali’s classic sculptures and tapestries which may or may not have been the real deal. The photos below show some of what you can find there, the little village itself was actually very charming…
The next stop was the Dalí theatre museum in Figueres which stayed true in style and design of Dali… It was like being transported to different worlds in every single one of his paintings/sketches etc. World’s that made me reminisce the days where I had dreams of becoming an illustrator… Anyways, it was wonderful, and even though we never went to Cadaques (where Dali spent the majority of his life, at least I got to see a glimpse of it in this museum…
Later that night I sat with and dance with my Dutch friends who were due to the next morning, it was another great day and night and I was grateful for the company they had given me and the stories they shared! With that I’ll wrap things up and get this post out to you all, thanks for reading this far and take care until next time friends ~*
Good evening friends! I was meant to deliver this post to you last night but I unexpectedly embarked on a wee after dinner adventure with my two Dutch friends and the yoga/pilates coach so y’all have my apologies for being absent… Before that excitement occurred, the day was relatively mellow and relaxed following the mermaid life I led the day before, so let’s get right into things with this very post!
My day began very typically with breakfast and a hearty cuppa, going half board does have the breakfast perks but I think, and I may have touched on this before, if I was to come back again then I’d likely pick the breakfast or self-catering option. Again though, that is just down to my opinion, you have to choose what you think would suit your needs…
Anyways! After breakfast, I went to do some yoga and afterwards, the coach highlighted a local market that was only on for one day (being Thursday) and that he would take a group of over to it, so I thought to myself why not? I do love me a good market and this one, only eight minutes walk from the hotel, was great! I cannot remember visiting a bigger market than this one and as always, there was so much on offer! I tried to take a photo of it but as it was so bright I failed to see the camera settings were on selfie mode so I bet you can imagine what happened when I looked through my phone back at the hotel!
I may not have gotten photos of the market but I did get photos from the hugely anticipated tea ceremony I attended a little later on! I have been wanting to attend a tea ceremony ever since I started watching anime and reading manga so I was like a little kid when it came to sitting on a cushion; eyes wide, mouth open, fascinated to the very end!
Now, the photos below… I am a hot mess, this is because I went to the pool and sunbathed, lost track of time and accepted my fate ~
After dinner myself and the two Dutch travellers were invited to Spanish dancing in a place where the name has been forgotten unfortunately but I can tell you it is in Costa Brava, somewhere… And it’s very classical/gothic looking! Beautiful in other words… It transpired that the place was closed on that day! So we all went to a bar and shared a uniquely interesting bottle of Uruguayan wine – there’s a new first for me! I can tell you that it tasted slightly like port but smoother and just really nice.
This was definitely a night that I will not be forgetting any time soon that’s for sure! Anyways, tomorrow will be back to normal-ish where I’ll be bringing another post to you regarding an artistic adventure, until then though, take care ~*
Good evening friends! So before we get going with the next post there is a confession I need to clarify in regards to my last post, reading back on it today I noticed there were one or two grammar issues that my tipsy and tired mind bypassed so apologies for that…
At this moment in time though, I am sitting peacefully in the bar listening to some mellowed down pop hits from a rasta dude, ( I’ve yet to hear anyone sing rock… Hmmm maybe one day…) Sipping on an unmeasured glass of baileys so it might be best to move on to the main body of this post before its too late…
Today I rented a bike and got completely lost! Not that I minded of course, I love the sensation of wind brushing against my face and through my hair but anyways, I tried to stick to the see as much as possible, it is after all, something that I take advantage of every time I’m away from home. The photo below was taken of a new favourite place I discovered while being lost… I have a video but I think my phone would explode if I tried uploading it the now, I have plans for it though so you’ll all see it at some point…
The other photos were taken at the beach closer to the Luna Park where I lay in the sand surrounded by the sounds of waves, birdsong and people living their best lives… But when I swam in the sea well, there’s nothing quite like it especially when you look down and realise that you’re swimming above fish getting on with their fishy agendas… It was at this moment that I realised I should have been born as a mermaid! What a free life that would be right? Aside from all the dark depictions that Disney and the brothers Grimm published…
As I cycled onwards it turns out I had gone through my last destination without realising it! But by that point I could feel my back screaming at me for shade so I turned back, getting en route for the hotel… The destination would have been Santa Susanna which is just an extension of the beach I was on anyways so I did not feel guilty for not stopping off there…
After having a drink on the terrace I got showered and headed out for food, I have discovered I don’t really like this whole half board life, breakfast is ok but dinner… I think I’d rather have something local or just…different. So I escaped and even though I played safer than I wanted to, the meal was better overall **not judging people who like half board, it’s just not my scene**
And now that the entertainment is over I am back in my room about to finish a glass of vino tinto so with that I think that this would be a good time to end this post for another day…
Goodnight friends, take care until the next time ~*
Good evening friends! It’s been a busy day, I have wandered, discovered, relaxed and danced with new friends so without further ado, let’s get into this post!
So… Day 2 arrived. I was not all sure what I wanted to do today to be honest. I knew I wanted to do something relaxing but I also wanted to find the beach and do some food shopping since water supplies were running a bit low (I’m not the most organised person in the world but that’s all part of the fun!). So after breakfast I went to reception and ended booking a treatment called ‘chocolate therapy’ and well, I was not going to turn this down and so I got it booked – one of the best life decisions ever!
Happy with my level of adulting, I then went in search of the beach which did not take me too long! But before I got there I had me some fish therapy. Now I know most of you might think it gross but trust me, you have got to try it, its fascinating and satisfying at the same time – having fish eat your feet I mean! Ok, maybe not your feet but the dead skin which is basically the same thing.
Trust me, you’ll love it but just in case you felt disgust by seeing an image of feet being swarmed by fish, I’ve added a photo I took on the beach to lighten the impact slightly…
When I got back to the hotel, I took part in a pilates and body balance session where I made some new friends who I dined with and sat with when we listened to the band… So all in all, I think I’m doing ok in life!
I’ll take some more photos tomorrow probably when I dip my toes in the ocean but that’s for another day… For now I will leave you with a video of our entertainment for tonight, she did do Spanish/Portuguesesongs but this was the only video I managed to take…
So that’s it for tonight friends, take care for now and I’ll send another update tomorrow, who knows what mischief I’ll be up to!
Good morning friends! It has been too long, honestly what am I like! There has been so much going on recently though so I’ve barely had time to nurture this space. I no longer work in the hostel and now I’m in a wellness retreat in Costa Brava!
On father’s Day (the 16th) my rusty wings took flight once again as I set off on a different kind of adventure… One of healing and complete mind and body relaxation… I arrived at my hotel, Luna Park closer to 1am in the morning and was pleased to walk into a calming environment, even in the reception! I originally was given a room with a car park view but got it changed easily to one with a pool view, why? Simply because looking at water is just something that calms me down better than cars. Of course there was nothing wrong with the first room, I just preferred the room I got in the end…
My first full day was spent by the pool in all honesty! Nothing is more relaxing than melting by the poolside with a nice, fresh cocktail, listening to the ripples soothing waves of the pool alongside some timeless birdsong… I do hope to be a little more adventurous from this point on though and I hope you will join me on my solo adventures with the Luna Park!
Good afternoon friends! it has been quite a long time since I published anything and for this, I have only myself to blame, alas! when I got back from Dublin I became swamped with work and life. It is only now, as I sit here, waiting for a wash load to finish that I can take a moment to write something of real value that you will appreciate more than if I rushed through my next post in a half committed way. With that, I hope you have been well and let us now begin with the main event…
Dublin, a summary of sorts ~*
We touched down in Dublin airport on the rainy morning of the 11th of October, four tired, excited and nervous with anticipation friends; a Scottish nutter, an Aussie gal and two Kiwis, odd mix but that’s just what happens when you work in a hostel right? Anyways, the first thing I noticed or certainly one of the first things I noticed, for there were a few, were the intricate architectural designs that can be seen on the tops of most, if not all of the lamp posts, and all of them appeared to have something different added to their designs. I was in awe by such a simplistic thing that many people would fail to notice or just ignore but for me, it was a little something special which only added to the beauty or classic feeling of Dublin. And that’s what Dublin felt like; a classic city, welcoming everyone into its classic embrace. So below is where you’ll see a photograph I took of the lamp posts in the hope that you may feel as I did when I set my eyes upon them.
We left our luggage in the storage room of our hostel ‘Gardiner House’ until it was time to check in. As we wondered for a bit, our stomachs took control and we ended up in one of our most frequented places, The Parnell Heritage pub and grill. In this homely wee place, we tried our first ever Irish coffee’s and I had some pretty scrummy chicken wings, 10/10 would recommend to anyone for at least one bite to eat and of course, one Irish coffee!
After a while, we decided it was time for a nap, we had been up for hours so it was only reasonable for us to get some shut eye! Back to Gardiner House we went to check in and to chill for a while… The hostel itself is located near the Temple Bar area but far enough away to be spared the noise when the area comes alive at night. It is actually quite a charming hostel oozing of historic character in the rooms and entrance way and with a gospel choir playing in a nearby church once in the time we spent there, it was just heavenly! Anyways, we were lucky enough to be placed in room 18, ‘The Chapel Experience.’ It was indeed an experience! chapel windows and the like were what welcomed us as we walked through the door, feeling alive with a renewed excitement at where we would be living for the next four nights…
I think this was an original feature of the Building before it was converted…
This was such a cute wee bathroom built into an alcove-type room…
That night everyone went for drinks in Temple bar, I left early and for those who had stayed, two of my friends got their phones stolen… and that was the first night! you couldn’t make it up! As our second day rolled in, emotions and anxieties were running high for the poor souls whose phones had been taken from them in the early hours of the morning but they or I is what should be said, never let that dampen their spirits as myself and the Aussie gal dragged them (at first) to the Guinness Storehouse for when in Ireland, it would be rude not to have the full Guinness experience! I am not a beer drinker, but I would, hand on heart recommend the Guinness Storehouse to everyone! I even liked it once learning the proper way to drink it!
Day three was slow and chilled as we meandered back to the Temple Bar area to take in the magnificence of the Ha’ Penny bridge… and it has a story which I never realised until I got back but for those who don’t know, here it is,
Bachelors would walk on one side of the bridge, whilst all the single and chaperoned young ladies would walk on the other side. Now, if they caught each others eyes and the lady nodded to the bachelor, if the bachelor paid a ha’penny to cross the bridge then they would be better regarded than those who would walk over the George bridge further up for free…
A photo of the Ha’ Penny Bridge during the day…
A photo in between George Bridge and the Ha’ penny bridge at night…
Oh! and I mustn’t forget visiting the Oscar Wilde statue! again, this little adventure was worth the walk especially when there was a great presence felt when your eyes fell upon the statue of the playwright/ author whose works have inspired many contemporaries!
After the pub crawl the night before, we were all feeling pretty rough as our fourth day rolled in and we spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon in Parnell’s waking up and deciding what on earth we were going to do on that day. In the end we, as a group, shuffled our way to Dublin Castle… and to what was going to be a disappointment. I mean, I am a lover of castles and anything history related… but all I can say is that for the size of the castle, we could tell that it was there just to swallow up the money of tourists. It was a let down but at least it was sunny and we allowed ourselves the opportunity to sit in the free courtyard under the rays for a while…
After spending some time having drinks in the Merchant Arm’s pub we made our way back to the hostel and later that night, we made some popcorn and watched The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo before starting the whole packing process.
Our last day was spent in the sun, sitting in another courtyard. The courtyard of trinity college was refreshingly warm yet crisp for an autumn day. Just sitting down somewhere and watching the world going by is one of my favourite things!
So would I go back? I want to, maybe just for a day or two… but next year I plan to do a trip from the top to the bottom of Ireland with a few friends from uni so I am not finished with with Dublin yet!
X
So there you have it friends, it was a bit of a lengthy summary but all in all, we had a good time! Until the next time friends! Take care ~*
Good afternoon friends! how have you been? it has indeed been a while sine my last post but when life happens, you just gotta roll with it! Anyways, autumn has arrived so that means jumper days, hot chocolate moments, movie nights and golden/amber leaves falling from the trees! Autumn is my favourite season, in case you haven’t guessed, what’s yours? Are you getting all set for Halloween or perhaps you are not a fan of this holiday. Whatever it is you choose to do with your valuable time this Autumn, I do hope that you have time to embrace this beautiful season for the warmth it brings and enjoy every minute that passes by…
As for myself, I have been enjoying the hostel life whilst working for and living at Kick Ass Hostels in the beautifully historical Old Town that lies within Edinburgh. I am still residing in six bed dorm full of amazing people who are always up for a chat and the occasional movie night where alcohol or popcorn or both can be enjoyed!
The main difference that I have really noticed through my time spent at working here is that the guests are more open and genuine or shall I say, less guarded than those who frequent hotels. I am 25 and have worked in hospitality since I was 18, so I have seen a lot and worked in a lot of different hotel environments, constantly having to change and adapt to different ways of doing things. In hotels, the guests who stay there often remain guarded, mostly unwilling to open up enough to have a really casual conversation with the staff, if only for two to five minutes. In a hostel, it is so different and the more I learn about everyone and the more stories I hear from travellers and the like just makes my wanderlust grow greater!
An exciting adventure that I am looking forward to is actually a voyage that I will go on with two of my room mates and one of their friends! I will be journeying to Dublin next Thursday for a few days! It’s awful that I am Scottish yet have never explored anywhere in Wales or Ireland. Dublin will only be the start of the many things that I have planned for both, this and next year! As always, I will make sure to take many photo’s and write in my journal, the memories being made throughout our Irish adventure with the intention of sharing them with you all when I get back, but for now I will leave you in the land of curiosity and anticipation!
I will leave you all here for now but I hope that you will look forward to the next post I’ll be sharing, not next week but the week after! until then, I wish you all the best in your daily adventures and see speak to you next time! ~*
Until tomorrow friends, take care for now ~*
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