Days 1-6 (29 April-4 May 2010)
Costa Blanca
I'm lucky that my parents live in an amazing part of Mediterranean Europe. Whilst most people fly to Alicante to visit monstrosities such as Benidorm, one doesn't have to travel very far to see some truly remote areas, away from the beer-guzzling beach goers.
It's a great few days with scenic walks, deserted cliff-edges and winding roads into the mountains. Even the one day of heavy rain is fun; anyone who has ever swum in the rain knows what an amazing feeling it is!
I do my obligatory visit to my favourite beach, Moraig. It's different every...
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Days 1-2 (1-2 April 2010)
London, Llanberis
My four day weekend of trekking started yesterday evening with the hardest bit: Squeezing past the thousands of other rush-hour Londoners who were equally desperate to get out of the city for the Easter break. A six hour bus, tube, train and car-hire journey later, Susanne and I arrived in Llanberis, the gateway to Snowdonian mountains in Wales.
We wake to find the overnight showers gone, and a mix of sunshine and clouds covering the mountain peaks at each side of the valley. It's Easter Friday and we visit the impressive (disused) slate quarries...
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Day 1 (10 July 2009)
London, Amsterdam
It's a little strange to finish work on a Friday and then find myself in a coffeeshop in Amsterdam five hours later! Despite visiting Amsterdam a few times for work, I've never had the pleasure of seeing this iconic city as a tourist. My first impressions are positive: It reminds me of Bruges and it brims with history, even though nothing actually looks very old.
My first Amsterdam joint hits me like a ten tonne hammer; it's insanely strong and leaves me completely conscious that I'm absolutely wasted! It's fun to wander around the beautiful canals...
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Days 1-3 (20-22 June 2009)
Edinburgh, River Tummel
Less than a month ago I went to Scotland for a weekend of highly-energetic mountain biking. I love Scotland; it's one of my favourite countries. Better still, when the sun is strong, the amazing history and architecture is impossible to ignore. However, this weekend's trip is slightly different: It's my mate's stag-do and the best man doesn't have much sight-seeing on the agenda.
It's entertaining watching the stag get completely hammered: The highlights being when he threw his pint of beer on the floor "when no one was looking", his pathetic...
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Days 1-2 (29-30 May 2009)
London, Darlington, Barnard Castle, Mabie, Dalbeattie
Half an hour on the tube, over three hours on a train and two hours in a car, yet the journey had only just begun. I'm in Scotland for a long weekend with a mate from school and we're tackling two of the 7stanes.
I ride to work nearly every day nowadays, which is an 18km round trip through the busy streets of London. I've learned to become fearless of bendy buses and zombie pedestrians stepping out into the middle of the road, whilst weaving through the traffic, in order to dart through the amber lights in the morning...
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Day 1 (30 April 2009)
Catania, Aci Castello, Acitrezza
I force myself to down a truly repulsive Gatwick airport coffee knowing that for the next six days I'll be treated to the best of the best. The destination is Catania, where my father grew up, and we're taking this pilgrimage to explore the east coast of Sicily.
As we approach the island, I know I'm in for a treat. The glorious weather gives a sublime view, practically into the mouth of the ever-volatile Mount Etna.
My memories of Palermo return as soon as we hit the roads, with the sounds of horns blasting, the scooters zipping in and out of traffic...
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Blog & photos & video coming soon. Soonish. I'll also think of a better title.
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