Crete, Greece

 4-11 June 2016

My cheeks are sore by our second full day in Crete, and when I go for my morning dip in the sea it becomes clear why. I've never been a good snorkeler (something about a fear of inhaling mouthfuls of sea water and some unsuspecting seaweed) so, armed with my goggles and wet shoes, dive in and hold my breath as long as I can before coming up for air. Now I know why my mouth hurts. I swam in the crystal clear waters of Crete's northern coast twice yesterday and I've barely been here 24 hours.

Swimming in the crystal clear waters

It's our summer holiday and were checked in to Meli Palace, somewhere in the rocks between uni goer favourite Malia and sleepy Sissi. The all inclusive hotel isn't our usual style, but it turns out the rumours were true; the food is excellent, the beach is private and the activities on offer will keep even us busy. Tennis, volleyball and kayaking are all on site and there's even an isolated island to swim to and conquer before heading back in time for lunch.

Kayaking!

Sunday is Greek day in the restaurant (though there are Greek dishes available all week) and I particularly enjoy filling my plate with Greek salad, stuffed vine leaves and souvlaki. Couple this with a hearty buffet breakfast and excellent dinner and it's a good thing there are a few opportunities to burn some of it off!

Sometimes all I need is a good book and a sunny spot to read it

We swim, eat and read until the explorer in us can't wait any longer and it's then that we make the 5k walk westwards to neighbouring Malia. Passing though the strip of bars and clubs, we seek out the old town. It's a hidden gem with blue painted doors and flowering climbers decorating the walls at every turn. We are greeted with ice cold sangria and Mythos and watch as the small square sets up for the evenings dinners, most likely a mix of locals of people like us looking for a taste of real Greece.

Malia Old Town

To the east of our slice of Crete is Sissi, which we visit one evening for dinner. Its tiny harbour is picturesque, and the few moored boats bob on the water as the sun slowly sets. We settle ourselves at Hemingway's Bar for chilled sweet red wine by the very large glass whilst the aged rockstar-esque proprietor sips his own glass and tends to his cats. Wandering up the road for dinner we are treated to more warm Greek hospitality, some spontaneous dancing and raki before getting a cap home. 2 people ask me if I'm Greek or have been there before, so I guess my tan is coming along nicely!

Cretan backstreets

Our final night, we book a table at the a la carte restaurant, To Nissi, and are treated to a stunning sunset as we are waited on. Course after course follows, washed down with a few glasses of wine and I can't help but think it's juts the best way to end our week in Crete; feeding our bodies and minds!

We were treated to plenty of beautiful sunsets

Watch our video on Crete below!

Coasteering in Dorset with Land & Wave

"But you did jump off all the higher rocks in Ibiza!" my friend reminds me when I bring up that Mark is planning a coasteering experience to celebrate his birthday. Everyone is invited but it seems this time we've gone too far!

The adrenaline junkie in me is excited a few weeks later as we get wet-suited ready for an afternoon of sharp rocks and steep drops with the Land & Wave team at Dorset's Dancing Ledge. Before I know it the sea is in view. It's a gorgeous day; green fields and spotless blue skies take my mind off what's to come. Then, finally it's time for some fun!

Our guides Ross and Hannah start off light with gentler jumps, helping us acclimatise to the chilly water, slowly building up to the biggest leaps of the day. They're easy enough to entertain, after all the water is a brilliant turquoise and the sun is illuminating the depths below the surface, but taking that final step still takes balls!

I can't believe the time it takes to hit the water but as soon as I do, I can't wait to climb back up and do it again! What a rush! Everyone gives it their best shot and any initial fears are soon replaced with bants and the occasional face plant!

But no one escapes "the gauntlet" - the final challenge where we battle against the swell to traverse a natural wall. I'm literally swept away before an outstretched hand pulls to relative safety, but by this time I'm too busy laughing to be scared! 

Check out the video of our Dorset coasteering experience now!

We ended our weekend with a night at Burnbake Campsite in Studland, Purbeck. This cute campsite was the perfect base for our weekend, and had everything you'd need even for a longer stay. After cooking endless BBQ to feed our tired bodies, we huddled around the fire pit toasting marshmallows until midnight, only to be awoken by the dawn chorus and a screaming child. Such is life on a campsite, but the laid back communal atmosphere meant we didn't really mind, not when when there's bacon baps and hot tea on the go from the friendly food hut!

Burnbake Campsite, Purbeck

My 2016 Travel Plans

My favourite part about the new year is planning our exciting adventures for the next 12 months. A fresh dose of annual leave and the blight of Christmas and MOT spending behind me sees me flicking through Traveller magazine for inspiration and scouring the web for deals. 

I like taking the time to reflect on the experiences and memories I've collected over the year, which for 2015 includes our first camping stay-cation, the bright lights of New York and the magic of the Marrakesh Medina. 

2015 has been an important year for us; back home after 6 months of whirlwind travelling, building a home and working on our careers. But now we've settled our souls and I'm chomping at the bit to plan the coming year, so much so I'm almost done already! 

So without further ado, here are some of my travel plans and dreams for 2016...

Barcelona

I'm kicking off the year with a cheeky January weekend away in Barcelona with my husband. I can think of nothing better than the colours of Park Guell and the rich flavours of paella to brush off the January blues. Barcelona was the first place I visited as a young traveller, when I was naive and broke so I'm looking forward to getting to know the city all over again!

Walking Dorset

Over the Spring months I'll be testing out my new Berghaus walking boots on the peaks and cliffs of the Dorset Jurassic Coast and South West Coastal Path. Walking will be a big change of pace from my regular running but I'm looking forward to the opportunity to take in the beautiful scenery and enjoy the gorgeous countryside I'm blessed to live among. 

Peru

All the walking will be excellent training for the biggest trip of my year; Peru! In September we will be jetting off to the dizzying heights of Cuzco to begin hiking the Inca Trail with Alpaca Expeditions. The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu have been on my list for as long as I've had one and I'm so excited to finally be on my way to South America. So much so I'm already brushing up on my Spanish!

Summer Holiday

If there's one thing that was missing from 2015 it was horizontal holidays. We both work very and like to play hard too, but every now and then everyone needs to take some time to laze under the sun with a cold drink and endless supply of books. I've been cautioned against booking or looking until after 25th December but I'm dreaming of a Grecian or Croatian escape, white washed buildings and the big blue sea.

Camping

Despite a fairly rough camping experience last summer, I'm determined to make the most of every available sunny Dorset weekend by packing up the car and checking into a campsite. The perfect excuse to combine Peru training with a monthly mini-holiday and all the excitement that goes with it! 

Well, that's 17 of my 22 days annual leave allocated and I haven't even booked Christmas yet, so be warned mid-week-weddings! 

I know that we are very lucky to be able to travel to much and so well, but believe me with careful planning and budgeting it's possible to make all your travel dreams a reality. 

What are your travel dreams for 2016?

Buen Viaje!

Surf and Sun in Perranporth, Cornwall

6 - 10 July 2015

Years since my last surf session, or camping holiday, our recent trip to Perranporth on the north coast of Cornwall was bound to hold a few surprises.

After a long drive from Dorset, we arrived at Perran Sands Holiday Park in late afternoon and battled the strong winds to set up camp. What had happened to the warm and still days of the week before?

Ideally located in the dunes, our campsite was a steep but short walk to Perranporth Beach which took my breath away with its rough naturalness and the size of the waves. The main reason Mark and I decided on Cornwall was for the surf, as we both wanted the chance to develop our board skills.

We rented a learner board and a couple of wetsuits from Bathsheba Surf Shop in the village. It was about £45 for 3 days - which is a great deal - and luckily they were also happy to look after the board overnight, saving us a long walk back to the campsite with the board under our arms!

Mark heading out for his first surf

Our first day's surfing had some rough conditions, not helped by the fact I had my head in SUP mode after my recent class, but despite the weather I managed to get to my feet a few times. Incredibly, the beach was spattered with jelly fish, both washed up and the tide line, and in the shallows. Jelly fish are a big fear of mine, so I was proud I managed to put it to the back of my mind and focus on catching some waves.

The following day was much sunnier, warmer and had all round better surf conditions. Both Mark and I got a few hours surfing in between dozing on the beach, reading and lunch at The Watering Hole. The water was sparkling blue and there was a real summer feeling in the air. Before we knew it, it was 4pm and we'd spent 6 hours in the water! We were exhausted but had had an amazing day.

The summer returns; bring me the sea!

Back at the campsite I was enjoying spending so much time outdoors. There's something about scrambling about in the morning to make a cup of tea and midnight walks to the toilets which is reviving at least if not relaxing. No phone signal or wifi definitely helped us digitally detox, something I desperately needed.

Perran Sands is a family orientated park, with all the child friendly amenities you'd need as a family. I admit, we were a little out of place as a twenty-something couple with a 3 man tent and a BBQ. We were surrounded by touring vehicles with electric hookups and windbreaks, and whilst they undoubtedly waited out the wind and rain with the evening entertainment, we cuddled up to watch Skyfall in our sleeping bags with a mug of Dorset Tea and a pack of Fudges Florentines.

Once we'd worn ourselves out on the waves and had fastened our ear plugs in place against the wind, it was easy to drift off, still feeling the rock of the waves in our bones knowing we'd squeezed all the surfing and sun tanning we could out of the British weather.

59 years between these pictures of me and my uncle in Perranporth

A special few moments on our trip included receiving a collection on photos from my mum of my grandparents and baby uncle enjoying a day in Perranporth in 1959. My Nan was the epitome of a pin up, and I had fun re-creating the images, though the light conditions weren't in our favour.

One sunny morning, we made our way to Newquay, which I had been to a few times before as a teenager with a friend and her family. I thought I'd have some memories coming back to me, but I was left blind to everything but the vision of boardmasters on Fistral Beach back in the early 2000's. Newquay is still a lively town, and Fistral Beach is certainly worth your time, especially with The Stables, and Rick Stein restaurants all to hand.

Fistral Beach, Newquay

Keep sailing with my coming posts which will take more trips down memory lane as I blog about my adventures before I launched Weigh The Anchor in my Sail back series, including 24 hours in Bruges and cruising down the Nile.