Branscombe and the beauty of Devon

If you were to ask a holiday maker about what they would imagine to be the idlic English village and coastline. The village of Branscombe in Devon really would be it.

Beautiful, charming and quaint with an absolutely stunning coastal paths and seaside towns nearby it really is the perfect place to relax and get away from the stress of the working world.

After receiving an invitation to go camping I leapt on the chance to escape for some much needed relaxation. And after setting up on a near by camping site I was soon enjoying the fresh air and rolling hills of Devon.

I spent the first day just relaxing, drinking and chatting with friends, it was the next day when we decided to explore along the dramatic and steep coastal path that I got to experience a bit more of the sun, sea and stunning beaches that makes Devon such a special place.

Miles and miles of dramatic coast line, dappled forests and beautiful towns just begging to be explored where just some of the things I experienced on the walk we took that day. And waiting at the end was the wonderful town of Beer, with its charming shops just begging to be explored and its long awaited beer garden where we restored our energy with drinks and delicious food (all rounded out by a live band).

The next day the rain was coming down thick and fast but as it was my last night we decided to treat ourselves by wandering down mist covered lanes to a wonderfully old fashion tea house where we had cake, tea and scones. It was a wonderful send off especially as I had really enjoyed the lovely misty countryside on the way down.

As I was given a lift to the station I lay back in my seat and let the train stream through the countryside and carry me back from the beauty of Devon to my home.

Edinbugh: Scotland's Empress of the North

Ancient and modern, hip yet historical, beautiful and edgy. Scotland's so called Empress of the North is one of the jewels in this country's crown. The city is filled with absolutely stunning sights such as medevil, Georgian and neoclassical buildings. Lovely gardens, an extinct volcano and the centre piece of Edinbugh castle.

I had arrived in Edinbugh for Bearscot, a gay bears festival that is held every year and took a few nights to drink heavily and shake my posterior at a variety of night clubs. Whether it was held at the steamy venue of CC Blooms two floor gay night club, the sprawling and subterranean setting of The Caves or the old fashioned watering hole of The Phoenix it was a great excuse to party the night away.

After the event (and my recovery from the subsequent hangover) I made sure I took some extra time to wander around the city with my camera. Immediately I was struck by just how truly lovely the city was. The grand architecture and enchanting sights were superb and I had an awesome afternoon visiting the city's grand castle, followed by a visit to the exquistely atmospheric St Giles Cathedral.

Afterwards I strolled through the city centre's parks and gardens (made particularly interesting by the grand gothic Scott Monument spire that takes pride of place in the park centre). I then headed for Edinbugh's national art gallery and perused some of the finest renaissance, scottish and impressionist artwork that Scotland had to offer.

As a final part of my trip I made sure to take the climb up to Calton Hill, a small steep hill whose top is stewn with stone structures and archaeological oddities that were designed to add a Grecian feel to the city. After taking in the stunning view of the city I climbed back down and made my way back to my hotel.

All in all I had had a fantastic trip to Edinbugh and as I flew back to my home city of Cardiff I left satisfied by my truly enjoyable trip to this grand city.

Abergavenny: the gateway to South Wales

Based in the rolling green hills of monmouthshire and perched inbetween three beautiful mountains. Abergavenny really is a great place to get away from it all.

Whether its to go hiking, explore the castle ruins, wander around quaint shops or enjoy the food festival that occasionally rolls into town Abergavenny really does have a lot to offer its visiting tourists.

I had had the week off work and so rather then sit around the house I decided to get out and do some hiking. On a whim I took the train to Abergavenny, as it pulled into the station I didn't regret the decision as I was immediately welcomed by beautiful sweeping vistas.

I set my sights on one of the nearby mountains and after procuring some supplies I set off. The path led me over a rushing river, by a beautiful local church and up onto an enchanting canal that was home to some lovely houses and a couple of sleepy looking boats.

After taking some time to wander along the canal I doubled back and followed the trail back up mountain and into some woods straight out of a fairy tale. I've never happier then when I'm in woodland so I relished the chance to be out in nature like this. After stopping to eat some lunch I finally broke the tree line and was rewarded with a great view across to the surrounding far off mountains.

When I was on my way in I didn't realise how close Abergavenny was to where my step father had been laid to rest at the foot of the Skrid mountain and it was a slightly emotional moment for me. Still it was nice to sit and take in the view and think of old times.

Afterwards I took the trail back down into town and over the meadows to Abergavenny castle. Unfortunately it was closed by the time I arrived but its ruined glory was more then enough to enjoy and take photos of. I finished my trip by heading into the town centre itself and nursed a coffee in one of the many shops that lined the centre. The friendly local banter left a smile on my face and as I left for the train I was happy that I had come and explored this beautiful place.

This blog post is in memory of my stepdad Berwyn Rogers, rest in peace Ber.

Cornwall: Lantic Bay and Polruan

I had recently decided that I had to take a break away from work and with the weather currently being nothing short of fantastic I decided that a camping trip was in order.

One of my friends suggested that we take a trip down to Cornwall, to camp near the quaint town of Polruan and sunbath on one of his favourite locations, the majestic Lantic Bay.

We took the train down south from Cardiff to Plymouth and then to Par, before taking a short bus ride over to the twin sea side towns of Fowey and Polruan. The towns themselves were beautiful and displayed Cornwall to its best effect. Full as they were of rustic winding streets, historic buildings, quaint shops and a bay full of brightly coloured boats.

We stopped in Fowey for lunch at Sam's, a fantastic resturant where I sampled freshly caught chilli tempura friend red mullet. Afterwards we crossed over to Polruan to wander and enjoy a refreshing ice cream and a spot of tea at a local resturant. We then headed over to the camping spot to chill out, eat dinner and sleep.

The next day we set out for a day down the beach. Lantic Bay was particularly beautiful, surrounded on all sides with dramatic cliffs, the clearest, most vibrate blue waters and full of multiple coves and nooks to explore. We set down to sunbath and relax for the day and as the sun set behind the cliffs we were treated to the most dramatic sunset as the sky went pink and the waters turned to a milky blue.

We went to bed that day happy and ready to explore the nearby sea cliff walk and town of Polperro.