Jewel of the Mediterranean: Malta

We loved our three days in Malta!  The blue Mediterranean, the fresh seafood, and tremendous history.  Here are a few photos that capture a sliver of the beauty we experienced:

Sun balconies in Valletta:

Balcony over the Upper Bakkara Gardens

Colorful seaside houses:

The blue lagoon:

The island of Gozo:

Deserted streets of Mdina:

Picture perfect:

Mega Yacht!

When can we come back!?!?!

If You Go: Malta

We went into our trip to Malta with few expectations.  Not many people we know have visited, but we couldn't resist a cheap flight and the potential for sunshine.  Just south of Sicily (and amazingly, north of Tunis) - Malta is a country with much history.  They have been conquered by many civilizations....the Moors, the Romans, even the British had a stint on the island.  We ended up LOVING our time here - three days was the perfect amount of time to see the city!

Hotel
La Falconeria: We took a chance on this and it worked in our favor.  I just opened in February 2017, so when we booked there were no real reviews.  In good news, the hotel was beautiful --- very sleek and modern.  It was also perfectly located in the city of Valletta, so the perfect touch down spot for exploring the island. Note that this is not a resort -- there are lots of those outside of Valletta - so if that's what you're looking for, this is not for you.  BUT...it was perfect for us!

...their cool pool:

Restaurants
La Rampila: This was a fancy restaurant where we spent my birthday dinner.  The ambiance is fascinating, it's inside one of the city walls, so very cavernous.  The food is delicious - many local dishes like Rabbit Stew and seafood.  Note: we did not try Rabbit!

Scoglitti: This is a great seafood restaurant right on the water.  The seafood was absolutely fantastic and fresh...you could pick your fish from the day's catch!  We loved the tuna carpaccio, seafood rissotto, and lobster pasta.  Highly recommend1

Pulled Meat Company: We stopped here for a quick lunch and it might have been my favorite meal of the trip.  They have a secret sauce for their pulled port and their homemade chips (like, amazing, thick, hot potato chips are a must try.

Coogis: This was an adorable tea garden in the town of Mdina.  If you make it here, Coogi's has great pasta and pizza...and an incredible view.  We loved the food, though the service was a bit slow.

Things to Do
Hornblower Cruise: We had a fantastic full day tour on Hornblower.  They picked us up from our hotel at 9 am and dropped us back at 5:30 - after having visited the island of Comino to see the blue lagoon (stunning) and Gozo where we stopped at several local sites.  It was a full, well-orchestrated day.  Pro Tip: Paying for transport (5 Euro) and Gozo bus tour (5 Euro) were both well worth it.

NATO Tunnel Tour: If you're into World War II history, this is worth a morning.  They take you into the tunnels of Valletta that were used as a key stronghold of the allies during WW II...Eisenhower worked here!  It's pretty neat.

Mdina: We took the bus to the beautiful city of Mdina.  It looks like a movie set because it's so perfect...and for Game of Throne fans...it was!  They filmed during Season 1 in this city, so if you're into the show, worth a visit.  P geeked out here.

Best On-Island Trip Yet: Northern Wales

Abundant sunshine. Beautiful beaches. Impressive castles.  A few things that made our weekend in Wales incredible.  We had been wanting to take this trip since we arrived, but were waiting for the weather to be just right.

Pro Trip: Schedule short on-island trips at the very last minute to confirm the weather will be nice.  Weather often makes or breaks trips here.

Here are a few of my favorite snaps from our 48 hour adventure:

First stop, the small city of Chester.  It was fully settled by the Romans who built an amphitheater still in tact as well as a full set of Roman Walls (which I am standing on to take this photo):

Chester cathedral:

Denbigh Castle:

This is the adorable, Victorian beach town we stayed in our second night.  It looked like something out of the 1920s and had a fabulous promenade;

Imposing Conwy Castle.  This is one of the most visually stunning castles we have been too...check out the bridge in the background.  Built originally in the 1200s:

Alf looks like he is guarding the castle:

This is how Alfie rolls (and where I keep the Starbucks iced tea that I found!!!)

Next stop, the amazing Penrhyn Castle.  This is a "fake" castle because it was built by the rich in the 1700s and wasn't used for defense, but was an amazing spot:

Welcome to the castle! This magnolia tree was magnificent and smelled amazing.

A peek at the interior...which were nearly as impressive as the exterior (not usually the case):

We always love a good family photo opp...especially when there is no crowd! Look how empty the background is:

On the road home...Alfie is in his little comfy car seat riding into the sunset:

If You Go: Northern Wales

We took a quick, but amazing trip to Wales this past weekend!  We left Friday night and got back Sunday evening...we managed to squeeze in three castles, a Tudor town, two pubs, and the best strawberry trifle I've had yet.  The weather was perfect, sunny, and mid-60s.  Alfie joined us and we had the best trip.  If you live here in England, you must add this to your list:

Hotels 

• Grovesnor Pullford Hotel: We loved this hotel.  It was fresh, modern and about 10 minutes from Chester.  We loved the bed, the location, and Alfie loved that they had a special bed and treats ready for him.  Highly recommend! 
• Oasis Hotel: This was a quaint beach front hotel in Llandudno.  The room was not the most luxurious, the hotel was perfectly located and the surrounding area was stunning.  They were more than accommodating for Alfie and it was an easy evening.  Even if you don't stay at this hotel...stay in this adorable, amazing, sea-side town! 

Things to Do 

• Conwy Castle: This was an amazing castle - incredibly well-maintained and really looked like a castle!!!  The town has these incredibly high walls all the way around the town.  This is my favorite we've visited in England - just stunning.  GO...immediately! 
• Penhryn Castle: This was another incredible castle.  This was is not as "authentic" because it was not built in the middle century for protection, but it's a stunning, recent-ish castle (think...early 1800s).  The interior of this was also beautiful. 
• Denbigh Castle:  Our third castle...this was less impressive than the other two, but had some stunning views of the Welsh countryside.   Stop here if you have time. 
• Chester: This was an adorable Tudor-style city.  Amazingly, this was also settled by the Romans, so there is a large ruin of roman amphitheatre and Roman walls still run through the city (which you can still walk on!). 
• Llandudno: A Victorian era beachtown with beautiful white-washed terraced houses along the beach.  The promenade was amazing for walking - and the seas was beautiful.  

Want to do the same trip?  Here are all of the stops! 

Daffodils at Goldsborough Hall

There is a fancy hall about 5 miles from Harrogate that has 50,000 daffodils (and a variety of other pretty plants)...the catch is that it's only open about 3 days a year.  We've waited over a year to visit Goldsborough Hall and finally got to visit last weekend on an open day and see it in its full glory.   We did not go inside, but got to see all of the yellow flowers in their full glory.  Enjoy some beautiful spring flowers in Yorkshire:

Pretty daffodils:

There is award winning cherry tree on the property:

Alfie spent the afternoon in the pram to avoid hurting his leg:

How the master captures his photographs:

Alf also met a cat...which he observed, but did not bark at:

Spring Adventures Resume: Shibden Hall

Spring seems to have finally arrived on the island.  The temperatures are more mild, the flowers are in bloom, and the skies are blue.  This means our weekends can be spent exploring more local spots.  Two weekends ago, we visited Shibden Hall.  This had not been on our radar at all, but then saw an HBO announcement for a mini-series of Anne Lister and Shibden Hall a few weeks ago.

You can read more about Anne here - but the short-version is that Anne inherited Shibden Hall at a time when she needed to make significant repairs to the property in the 1800's.  She was also a lesbian (very controversial at the time) and managed to woo and heiress to help her manage and pay for the renovations and upgrades needed.  The mini-series will be released in 2018 - definitely on my must-watch list.  In the mean time, see below for a few photos inside and out of the Shibden!

Also - note to parents here - this would be an awesome place to bring kiddos!  There is a small lake with paddle boats, a huge playground, and a handful of amusement rides (read: small ferris wheel and spin-y ride!)

The outside has a Tudor-style feel:

A view of the Great Hall inside - make sure to look at the portrait of Anne Lister and the amazing stained glass that was collected from churches during the dissolution of monasteries activity under Henry the 8th:

The carriage was magnificent...they probably had 20 different carriages on display!

Three cheers for Shibden Hall!