What Kate Did... Went to Bath Spa

Back in November Tom and I took advantage of the cheap train fares and booked a weekend away in Bath, a beautiful city just a couple of hours away from central London. I didn't take my DSLR so please excuse the less than perfect photos from my trusty old iPhone 4!

We stayed at The Royal Hotel as it had a brilliant deal on (two nights plus a 3 course dinner and breakfast each morning for £100pp) and it is brilliantly located right next to the train station. The hotel was perfect for us - quiet, clean and decent sized rooms.

Day one:

We arrived late and after checking in we headed straight to the Thermal Baths. Although Thermae Bath Spa is not cheap it is arguably one of the most unmissable parts of Bath. And if you travel to Bath Spa by train you can get half price entry (just remember to take your ticket to show them!). You can hire a dressing gown and towel for a small fee (we just took the ones from our hotel though) and they have lots of clean changing rooms with lockers. Understandably you can't take your camera or phone into the baths, as people are wearing their swimsuits. Tom loved the flavoured steam rooms (especially eucalyptus) while the highlight for me was definitely the thermal pool on the roof. We sat and chatted while watching the sun go down over the stunning buildings around us. That night we ate at our hotel and redeemed the free meal that came with our room.

(Photo from the Themae Bath Spa website - no phones allowed inside!)

Day two:

After filling up on breakfast at the hotel we set off to explore the city. We started out at The Roman Baths (we managed to blag student discount here). There's a free audioguide which is worth doing. Just don't try the supposedly 'medicinal' water, it tastes as bad as it smells!

We then visited Bath Abbey, a beautiful landmark right next to The Roman Baths. It was great to take refuge from the cold November day inside.

After refuelling on tea and cake we went to the Jane Austen Museum, a personal highlight for me. The author is often associated with Bath and it was lovely to visit the museum and learn a bit more about her lift. Prebooking is recommended.

Not far from the Jane Austen Museum is the famous Royal Crescent, well worth trekking up the hill to see. After Instagramming this very photogenic street we wandered back down the hill to eat dinner at The Mint Room, a wonderful Indian restaurant with plenty of delicious vegetarian options.

Day three:

We spent the morning peacefully wandering around Bath, enjoying the pretty streets and independent shops. After popping to see Pulteney Bridge we headed to a vegetarian cafe called The Green Rocket Cafe for lunch. They had countless vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options to chose from. We both enjoyed our choices and even made room for pudding. We had to leave shortly after lunch to catch the train home, but we both had a lovely weekend and will be sure to return to Bath.

Top tips:
- Travel by train to enjoy half price entry to many attractions, including the Thermal Baths
- Prebook tickets to the museums and Thermal Baths to avoid the long queues.
- You only really need two full days to see all the highlights.
- We didn't use public transport or taxis at all, Bath is a small city which is accessibly on foot. 

What Kate Did... Lived in Cornwall

As I lived there for 3 years, rather than going on holiday, this post is going to be more of a list of things to do in Cornwall, rather than my usual suggested itineraries.




Places to visit in Cornwall:

• Falmouth - I have to start this list with my old home of Falmouth. It's a true gem of the southwest, filled with quirky independent shops, bars and restaurants as well as beautiful beaches. Falmouth is known as the foodie capital of the southwest, so many of my favourite restaurants are there. As well as the ones mentioned before I also love Mings Garden, Cribbs and Thai Orchid. You can visit Pendennis Castle, which was built by Henry VIII and was the last castle to fall during the English Civil War. The National Maritime Museum is also in Falmouth, which has lots of fun activities on for children. I would really recommend completing a Treasure Trail in Falmouth as they are great for taking you past all the sights as well as filling you in on the rich history of the area. I did the murder mystery one with Tom and we had loads of fun. Another must-do in Falmouth is taking a boat trip along the Fal estuary. You can jump on a boat or ferry from the Prince of Wales Pier. I've stayed in a couple of hotels in Falmouth when visiting friends there, I would really recommend Ivanhoe Guesthouse. The owners are incredibly friendly, the breakfasts are amazing and wonderful for vegetarians (they even make their own jam!) and the rooms are huge and great value and the location is perfect for accessing both the high street and the beach. 

• St Ives - In 2011 I wrote this post on St Ives which goes into more detail. It really is the most beautiful part of Cornwall.  I don't think I've ever seen the sea so blue. The Barbara Hepworth sculpture gardens and the Tate St Ives are both worth a visit (you can get a cheaper combined ticket). Don't try and drive into the town, instead get the park and ride train. 

• St Michael's Mount - this unusual attraction is not too far from St Ives and is easily accessible by public transport. If you visit at high tide you have to take a small boat over to the mount, which really added to my excitement. We left at low tide so we were able to walk back across the causeway. 

• The Camel Trail - this is a lovely scenic bike trail from Wadebridge to Padstow. You can hire bikes at either end, or bring your own. 
• The Eden Project - although it is expensive I did really enjoy visiting The Eden Project. I'm not into plants or gardening but the sheer scale of the project was really impressive, and the cafe sells really good cake which is enough to sway me! 
• Godolphin House - While I was living in Cornwall I had an annual pass to National Trust properties. Godolphin House was definitely one of my favourites. The gardens are beautiful and the cafe is amazing! Trewithen is also wonderful and worth a visit. 

• Tintagel - Tintagel Castle is rumoured to be the location where King Arthur was born. All that's left today are some ruins with pretty spectacular views. The castle is reached by climbing many uneven steps so it is not very accessible. Tintagel is a  must-see in Cornwall. 

• Minack Theatre - I've been lucky enough to see two shows at the Minack Theatre and I don't think it really matters what you see, the real star of the show is the setting. 

Where to eat in Cornwall: 

• Oliver's (Falmouth) - Although mostly known for their steaks (the best my Dad has ever had!) they also have several really good vegetarian options. I chose to eat here after my graduation as the food is so special, it was the perfect end to a great day. It's no surprise that they are the best rated restaurant in Falmouth on Tripadvisor. 

• Gylly Beach Cafe (Falmouth) - Another special restaurant, this is actually where Tom and I went on our first date five years ago. They serve food throughout the day, although I have never eaten breakfast there. I love the veggie chilli nachos. As the name suggests, this restaurant is right on the beach which is really lovely. The views and atmosphere are unbeatable. If the weather is less than sunny when you visit then I would recommend their brilliant hot chocolates, they taste best when you sit outside under the heaters wrapped in a blanket with a dog at your feet. On Sunday evenings they usually have live music and some kind of deal on, it was a curry (meat, fish or veggie) plus a pint of beer or cider for £5 when I last went.

• Dolly's (Falmouth) - a lovely tearoom with homemade sweet treats by day and a roaring vintage themed gin bar by night. Dolly's is a wonderful place to visit. They serve cocktails in teapots and they have a resident golden retriever who wears pearls. What's not to love? 

• The Bean Inn (St Ives) - This is the only vegetarian restaurant on the list. I've only ever visited it with meat eaters and they've really enjoyed it too. The menu changes to reflect the seasons and everything is locally sourced. Read more on my St Ives post. 

With so much to see and do in this wonderful county it was really hard to pick a few favourites to compile this list. What's your favourite thing to do in Cornwall?  

What Kate Did... Went to Amsterdam

I first went to Amsterdam when I was 12 years-old as part of a school trip around Germany and The Netherlands. We stayed in a hostel slap bang in the middle of the red light district, and spent our days eating only foods that contained Nutella and looking at various flood management systems. It wasn't the most thrilling or memorable trip, so when my mum asked if I fancied going back I jumped at the chance.

Day one

We both flew into Schiphol airport. I'd definitely recommend getting the 197 bus over the train into the city centre. We had to queue for ages to buy a train ticket and then wait 40 minutes for the train. This was at 10am on a Friday morning. Coming back we got the bus which was cheaper and took just half an hour. You can also pay for the bus with notes, whereas you need coins to buy a train ticket. Whatever you buy make sure you 'check in' before boarding, a bit like the London Oyster card system. Find out more about Amsterdam transport tickets here.

We had pre-booked our tickets to the Van Gough museum which turned out to be a great move as the queue went on for about 100 metres down the street! It costs the same amount to book Van Gough tickets in advance so it pays to be organised. The museum made me really appreciate Van Gough's work more than ever before. It is arranged chronologically which is unusual for a gallery and really helped us to understand the different stages in his life. At €17 it is quite expensive, but arguably worth it. Especially if you are caught in one of the infamous Dutch downpours!

We then walked down to the Rijksmuseum, which is a couple of minutes away from Van Gough on the same street. The sun was shining so we spent an hour or so catching up in the (free) sculpture garden there. As well as taking the obligatory shots of the 'I Amsterdam' letters!

For dinner that night we ate at De Waaghals, the only vegetarian restaurant we visited during our trip. It's really small and fills up quickly so I would recommend making a reservation. It's only a ten minute walk from Museumplein.

Day two

After filling up on the free buffet breakfast at our hotel we headed straight to Anne Frank's house. My mum and I agreed that this is an unmissable part of any trip to the city. But definitely, definitely book your tickets in advance! I felt so bad walking past the hundreds of people queueing in the pouring rain and walking straight in. If it looks fully booked on the day you want to visit then keep checking back on the website. I had it open in a tab at work and I kept refreshing until tickets came up. The house is tiny (which makes it even more humbling and emotional) which means you walk through most of it in single file, don't go the day you need to catch a flight home as it would be impossible to get through in a hurry. I would allow two hours.

Right next to the Anne Frank Huis is the church where Rembrant is buried. Here you can pay to climb the 190 steps to the top of the church tower for amazing views of Amsterdam. Finding a photogenic vista is always a top priority for me when visiting somewhere new. It takes half an hour and you can buy tickets in advance, although we just waited twenty minutes until the next slot when we arrived.

After climbing all those steps we felt like it was the ideal time to sample our first Dutch pancake. Researching on Tripadvisor before we left told me that The Pancake Bakery is the number one place to go. Conveniently located on the same street as Westerkerk and Anne Frank's house we wandered here next. I did my 12 year old self proud and had banana and Nutella (!) and my mum went for the 'Brazillian' which included peaches, nuts, cream and syrup. Both were lovely! Highly recommended. Plenty of vegetarian savoury dishes too. They did salads for the vegans which looked nice.  The pancakes are HUGE though, so make sure you leave enough time before dinner!

We spent the afternoon mooching around the canals looking at the beautiful houses and exploring winding streets. I was worried that it might be a bit awkward to go on holiday with my mum to a place synonymous with stag dos and debauchery. This was the only time we saw any drug taking or prostitutes, and it could have easily been avoided if we were made uncomfortable by this.

For dinner we went to Rose's Cantina. They had several decent veggie options and they did brilliant cocktails! It was affordable and they had the most amazing decor. I'd recommend it.

Day three

We visited at the end of April which meant Keukenhof Gardens were open (they are closed from June to March). We saw literally thousands of tulips (and other bulbs!). It was a beautiful spectacle. This was somewhere that my mum really wanted to go but I wasn't too bothered until we got there. I'd recommend buying the combi ticket which includes a bus ticket from Amsterdam. Just jump on the 197 to Schipol Airport, then walk along to the left of where the bus dropped you off to catch the Keukenhof Express which takes you straight there. Buses leave every 10 minutes. You also skip the queues when you get there with this pre-booked ticket.

Sunday evening we ate a Bar Huf, it does typical bar food including two vegetarian options. My mum has loads of allergies (rice, pasta, tomato, dairy, chilli etc...) so it's hard to find places where we can both eat something enjoyable. This was great for that. Relaxed dining, decent food and they serve meals until late too.

Day four

We left midday on Monday after going on a boat trip along the canals (I'd recommend the Blue Boat company, it was €16 for 90 minutes and the commentary was excellent) and a picnic in the beautiful Vondelpark.

Overall, Amsterdam is an affordable, beautiful and vibrant city. The ticket prices do add up but I would argue that Anne Frank Huis and the boat trip are unmissable if you are visiting the city. You could find cheaper food, but my mum's allergies meant we wanted to plan where to eat before we got there.

Top tips:

- Get the 197 from the airport, rather than the train.
- Prebook everything! Especially Anne Frank's House, the Van Gough Museum and Keukenhof.
- Visit in the spring so you can witness the tulips.
- Buy a 3 day ticket, these are valid on all trams, buses and some trains. Make sure you always check in and out.

What Kate Did... Went to Venice

After a week in Rome Tom and I took a short plane journey to Venice for two nights, this was long enough to see the main sights and any longer may have required us to take out a small loan (a glass of Coke was £25!).

We carried on in much the same way as in Rome, lazily mooching from one place to another sampling as many flavours of gelato as possible. Venice was stunning, and definitely somewhere that I would recommend you visit if you are in Italy or travelling around Europe. It's a very small place and you can get around easily on foot so I would say 3 nights is the most you need. Anymore than that and you might lose your patience with the swarms of tourists in tiny alleyways!

Everywhere you look you see something beautiful, here are a selection of my best photos. We went in September and it was overcast for the first day so the mist has spoilt my snaps a bit.





Santa Maria della Salute






Basilica San Marco

Piazza San Marco





The view from the top of Campanile, it was worth all the steps to the top!









We stayed in the cheapest hostel we could find, Geremia Rooms, in Venice, and two nights there still cost more than a week in a lovely hotel in Rome! It was boiling as they had no air conditioning but as students it was very budget friendly. The location was great as it was so close to both the train and coach stations, ideal for getting to from the airport.

Eating was really easy for a vegetarian as in Italy you can order simple pasta with pomodoro and no cheese everywhere. No need to worry about stealthy rennet getting into your dinner. Pasta does tend to be served in a small portion which is meant to be eaten before a meat course but nowhere did we have any issues ordering a larger portion as a main. Many pizzas were served without cheese making things simple for vegans.

Top tip for Venice: the public water bus costs only a few euros (about £3 in 2011) and the route takes you past so many sights and drops you off in Piazza San Marco. A much more affordable alternative to a gondola ride, and no risk of falling in!