Contents

1. Contents
2. What is the National Memorial Arboretum
3. Getting to the National Memorial Arboretum
4. Things to see and do at the National Memorial Arboretum
   1. Armed Forces Memorial
   2. Shot at Dawn Memorial
   3. Far East Prisoners of War Exhibition (incl. Burma Railway Memorial)
   4. Royal Air Force Remembrance Garden
   5. Allied Special Forces Association Grove
   6. UK Police Memorial
   7. Other Memorials
   8. Remembrance Centre
5. Other Important Information

What is the National Memorial Arboretum

The Arboretum was the idea of Commander David Childs CBE who, having been inspired by a visit to Arlington Cemetery and the National Arboretum in Washington, believed a year-round national centre of Remembrance was needed here in the UK to ensure we never forget.

The NMA is a registered charity housed in a 150 acre site. It exists to ensure that:

• the unique contribution of those who have served and sacrificed is never forgotten
• the baton of Remembrance is passed on through the generations
• there is a year-round space to celebrate lives lived and commemorate lives lost.

The Arboretum was officially opened to the public in May 2001.

Getting to the National Memorial Arboretum

The NMA is in central England, in the county of Staffordshire. The easiest way to access the site is by car, and its within easy reach of Derby (30 mins), Birmingham (40 mins), Leicester (55 mins) and The Peak District incl. Sheffield (1hr 15 mins).

If coming from London, the easiest way to reach the site is to take the train to Stafford from London Euston or London Victoria, taking around 1.5hrs and then taking a taxi from Stafford to the NMA (40 mins).

It’s not an easy day trip from London so my recommendation would be to take it in en-route via car to The Peak District, one of England’s most beautiful areas and perfect for an off the beaten track England stay. Even better, complete it with a stay at The Tawny Hotel and you’ve got yourself a pretty special trip.

Things to see and do at the National Memorial Arboretum

The Arboretum is full of poignant and sobering memorials, which moved me in parts to near tears. It’s a huge site, and there is so much to see and do. Here are some of the higlights.

Armed Forces Memorial

The largest monument at the NMA was created to remember and recognise those who have given their lives in the service of the country since the end of the Second World War. In a huge open space, over 16,000 names are carved in to the walls in commemoration of those who have been killed whilst on duty, died in operational theatre or were targeted by terrorists. Colleagues who died in the same incident are remembered together. Over 15,000 names were carved by computer when the memorial was created. There is space on the empty panels for 15,000 more names. Since 2007, the names have been engraved by hand on the memorial on a yearly basis.

Shot at Dawn Memorial

Oh this one got me.

The Shot at Dawn Memorial commemorates 309 British and Commonwealth soldiers who were shot for desertion, cowardice, striking a senior officer, disobeying a lawful order, casting away arms, mutiny and sleeping at post during the First World War. Most of them were sentenced after a short trial at which no real opportunity for defence was allowed.

Today, it is recognised that some were underage when they volunteered and that many of them were suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which was not recognised as a medical condition until 1980. In 2006 they were officially pardoned by the British Government.

Deliberately located at the most easterly part of the Arboretum where the sun rises first, Shot at Dawn shows a soldier, blindfolded, hands tied, with a target on his front, to be shot by snipers from his own army. Each post in the exhibition represents a person, and their names are engraved at the top of each post.

Far East Prisoners of War Exhibition (incl. Burma Railway Memorial)

Another gut wrencher. The Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOW) Memorials and Exhibition tell the story of those captured by the Japanese during WW2. Reading the harrowing stories of forced manual labour, horrific living conditions and jungle death marches were truly horrifying. Many of these FEPOWs were forced to work on the infamous Burma and Sumatra railways, and the Memorial even has original sections of both on display as part of the memorials.

There is also the original Lych Gate, built by POWs held at Singapore Changi prison. I plan to visit Singapore later this year, and will be sure to visit the prison, picturing the resilience and hope these men found even in the worst of conditions.

Personal Note: After my visit, I discovered when doing my family tree research that my husband’s ancestor, Percy Peacock, was stationed in Singapore during WW2. He was captured when the Japanese invaded, and held at Changi Prison. He probably walked under the gate. He was then transported to Thailand to work on the Burma Railway, where he died of malnutrition. He is buried in the war graves next to the Bridge over the River Kwai, part of the Burma Railway. We will be sure to visit in the coming years.

Royal Air Force Remembrance Garden

The garden is dedicated to all those who devoted their lives to their country in the RAF, no matter how long they served and regardless of in what capacity. It is open to everyone, including serving and ex-serving RAF personnel and their families.

At the centre of the garden sits a beautiful statue of the RAF Association’s ‘Eagle on the Globe’ emblem. The statue is made from over 1,000 individually crafted feathers and stands three metres high on a black marble plinth.

Allied Special Forces Association Grove

The Grove is laid out in the form of an “Open Air Book”, where every plaque tells a story. Some a sentence, some a paragraph and a few with whole chapters, where you can read about many individuals, military units and civilians who helped Allied Special Forces in WW1 & 2 and in the many conflicts since.

It’s such a beautifully maintained grove, full of flowerbeds and open green space between the plaques and memorials. The stories told were of bravery, risk, heartbreak and loss, and a couple of them caused me to well up.

UK Police Memorial

Dedicated to all those dedicating their lives to Policing, the memorial remembers the 4,500 police men and women who have given their lives in service. One of the largest monuments on the site, it’s striking and can be seen from the visitor centre despite being quite far away.

Other Memorials

There are hundreds of other memorials at the site. I had lots of highlights:

• Memorial to stillborn and unborn babies. I definitely got emotional here, given my own experience. How nice that in a garden focusing on the Military there is a space for remembering lost babies. Hundreds of stones have been laid, some dating back to losses in the 60s and 70s, showing how baby loss stays with us for life, as mine will.
• Polish Armed Forces Memorial. Paying testament to the role the Polish played in WW2 in contribution to the defeat of the Nazis, this large monument pays tribute to their individual and collective stories.
• Naval Services Memorial. A beautiful glass memorial representing the seven oceans in different colours, with yellow and red at each end representing the rising and setting sun, alongside an inscription of the poem ‘Crossing the Bar’ by Tennyson.
• Airborne Forces Memorial. One of the most striking memorials shows a man from the parachute regiment running with his parachute, in tribute to the remembrance of those in the airborne forces.
• Football Remembers Christmas Truce Memorial. The Christmas truce was a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front of the First World War around Christmas 1914, where soldiers from both sides played football.

Some others I really liked included the Bomb Disposal Unit Memorial, WW1 Sikh Memorial, Submariners Memorial, Army Pay Corps Memorial (as I’m an accountant), Showman’s Guild, Fire Service Memorial, Desert Rats Memorial and many more.

Remembrance Centre

The remembrance centre, which you have to walk through to enter and exit the NMA houses a great exhibition telling the story of the arboretum and stories of remembrance, plus introduces some of the main memorials.

Also in the centre is a large café serving food, a big shop and a smaller coffee and tea room where you can get some delicious cakes.

Other Important Information

• The NMA is free to enter, and has multiple spots to make donations.
• When booked in advance, there is a £4 car parking fee, or on the day it’s £6.
• The site is large, so wear comfortable shoes and take an umbrella if the weather is looking a bit dodgy, there are lots of big open spaces.
• You can easily spend a whole day at the site, and I recommend at least 3 – 4 hours to take it in properly.
• If walking the site self guided is too much, the NMA offers walking tours, plus (mini) train and individual buggy tours round the site if you don’t want to walk.
  • Guided Walking Tour – £4 per person
  • Land Train Tour – £6.50 per person
  • Buggy Tour – £7.50 per person

So what did you think of the National Memorial Arboretum? I absolutely loved it and think it’s such an important site to have here in England. I hope you enjoyed the visit – stay safe and happy travelling!

Contents

1. Contents
2. What is the Gothenburg Archipelago?
3. How to get to Brännö Island
4. The ferry ride to Brännö Island
5. Things to do on Brännö Island
   1. Admire the beautiful village houses
   2. Visit the church and graveyard
   3. Take in the view across Brännö Rodsten
   4. Brännö Lotsutkik
   5. Hike Brännö Nature Reserve trails to Galtero Island
   6. Brännö Museum, Shop and Vardshus
   7. Enjoy Brännö’s beaches

What is the Gothenburg Archipelago?

Gothenburg is a coastal city, right on the water’s edge in western Sweden. Off the coast are two sets of islands, known as the North and South Gothenburg Archipelago. Between them, there are around 30 large, visit-able islands, making them a perfect choice for a day trip.

They literally all looked amazing, so I did what any respecting tourist would do in the situation – ask a local. At dinner the previous night, I was sat next to a lovely Swedish couple who looked very outdoorsy (they all look outdoorsy in Sweden, mind you), and decided to take the plunge and ask for advice. They recommended Brännö island as their favourite due to its hiking routes. I also asked at my hotel’s reception staff which lead to a long debate about whether Brännö, Styrsö or Vrångö was better.

I decided on balance, I liked the look of Vrångö because it had the most beautiful beaches and the weather forecast was 25 degrees, or Brännö if I woke up in the morning and fancied a hike, given its home to a nature reserve and receives few visitors outside of the peak summer months. Both islands are car free so I figured I’d go with the flow and see how I felt.

Long story short, when I got to the ferry terminal, the ferry to Brännö was leaving in 10 minutes, the ferry to Vrångö would be another 2 hours as I’d just missed one. So that was that – Brännö and a hike for me!

How to get to Brännö Island

From Gothenburg, getting to Brännö was super easy. I managed it by myself no problem. I took Tram 11 from outside Gothenburg Central Station in the direction of Saltholmen, which took around 30 minutes.

From Saltholmen I then walked to the ferry terminal, called Saltholmens Brygga (literally a 2 minute walk from the tram stop across a car park), and asked when the next ferry left. You could also do this on line, but I’m old fashioned and like to check with a person. You can check all the ferry timetables leaving from Saltholmen HERE (it even shows you which port they leave from C1, C2 etc). My ferry left from C3, which was just through the ticket gate.

Talking of tickets. Public transport in Gothenburg Zone A is easy as pie – when riding the tram, you just have to swipe your debit card on the terminal on the card reader bit at the bottom (the unit is normally just past the driver as you walk in to the tram) so no need to buy an advance ticket. This ‘swipe’ costs around £3 and lasts for all travel for 90 minutes, and EVEN BETTER, the southern islands are also considered Zone A. So as long as you get a ferry within 90 minutes, you swipe again as you get on (the ferries all have the same units to swipe as the trams) and there’s no extra charge.

I had absolutely no need for advance tickets or anything like that. Maybe in summer it would be worth it, but certainly for me I had no problems at all with the entire journey costing me £6 there and back.

The ferry ride to Brännö Island

You will need to take Ferry 282 from Saltholmens Brygga to get to Brännö.

The ferry ride to Brännö takes around 45 minutes, and stops at numerous other islands on the way including Asperö, Köpstadsö, Styrsö and Vargö.

I did contemplate trying to get a couple of islands in, but the timetable just didn’t work. I arrived in Brännö at around 10.40am, and the next ferry departing it wasn’t until 3.30pm. I knew after a long day of hiking I probably wouldn’t want to try and rush round seeing islands in an evening after that, so decided just to visit Brännö but you could island hop, especially if you don’t want to hike.

Things to do on Brännö Island

Admire the beautiful village houses

Brännö is an absolutely beautiful village, full of pretty houses everywhere you turn. I loved seeing it in spring with flower window boxes blooming. It was also lovely to see some street stands selling everything from flowers to jam.

Visit the church and graveyard

The local church is a cute little building, worth a short detour from the shop to see. The graveyard sits at the top of the island and its most famous resident is Lasse Dahlqvist who was one of Sweden’s most famous song writers. I found the benches in the graveyard in the shade a lovely place to sit and take a breather – again, there was no one else around.

Take in the view across Brännö Rodsten

Also at the north of the island is the area with sweeping views out across to Rivo island, with a Swedish flag flying high from the vantage point. Lovely!

Brännö Lotsutkik

One of my favourite spots on the island was the bright red lookout hut, Brännö Ltsutkik. You can reach it via Faggeliden, and take the left hand turn up a track before it becomes Vassdalsvagen. Follow it up a hill and then some steps to come out to a stunning view of the hut and out across the island.

Hike Brännö Nature Reserve trails to Galtero Island

This was easily my favourite thing to do on the island, it was just SO beautiful. I entered the nature reserve from the road Galterovagen (opposite the shop), and followed it through a beautiful area of woodland until I could see the coast. I hiked across to Galtero Island and completed the signed loop there, before heading back across to Brännö and following the blue trail across the rocks to Lonndal to complete a big circle ending at the shop for an ice-cream.

As a top tip, there is a map of the island at the ferry port so I recommend taking a photo as the hiking trails are marked on there as a red dotted line. The route through the reserve is easy, but crossing Galtero and looping back over the rocks does require some scrambling and careful following of the route via way posts.

The walk was absolutely amazingly stunning. I had it completely to myself, seeing only 1 other person on the entire route. I cleared my head and honestly kept thinking to myself how lucky I was to have such a beautiful experience. In total the hike took me 2.5hrs.

Brännö Museum, Shop and Vardshus

Brännö has a little Museum, which was closed when I visited as it’s only open in the summer months (I went in May). The island’s one shop is open daily, though closes for lunch 12 – 2. There is also one restaurant on the island, Brännö Vardshus, which again was closed when I visited on a Monday outside of peak summer season so check the opening times before you go!

It meant I had no food or drink as there was literally nowhere to get lunch. Luckily for me, a lovely elderly couple saw me sitting outside the shop (clearly looking rough) and offered me water and a bowl of soup on their porch to keep me going. I am incredibly grateful as after a 2.5hr hike I was struggling with no water!

Enjoy Brännö’s beaches

Brännö is home to a number of lovely beaches to finish your visit off with some R&R. I didn’t get too much time here, maybe about an hour, before my ferry arrived but I enjoyed reading my book with a background noise of a few children splashing about with their parents.

I had an idyllic day on Brännö island. It was truly beautiful in the spring sunshine and I felt so lucky to have the place largely to myself. I think it would be incredibly isolated in winter, but in summer it’s a true paradise, and I’d love to return one day to explore more islands – I think they might be one of Sweden’s, and maybe even Europe’s, best kept secret!

That’s pretty much all it takes with me, so off we went. My husband was sent to Gothenburg for a week with work, so we flew out on a Friday night, had the weekend together and then he stayed on to work. I couldn’t stay the whole week as I’d already committed to a work event in the UK on the Wednesday and a conference in The Netherlands on the Thursday so I stayed until Tuesday – the start of a busy week for me.

I’d no idea what Gothenburg offered, but I was so pleasantly surprised and found it to be a really beautiful city. Here’s how to make the most of your time there.

Contents

1. Contents
2. Important Information about visiting Gothenburg
3. Itinerary Day 1 – Central Gothenburg
   1. Trädgårdsföreningen Park & Palm House
   2. City Canals
   3. Gothenburg Cathedral
   4. Gustav Adolfs Torg
   5. Gothenburg City Museum
   6. German Church
   7. Kronhuset
   8. Lilla Bommen and Maritiman
   9. Avenyn
4. Itinerary Day 2 – Further Afield
   1. Gothenburg Botanical Garden
   2. Haga
   3. Skansen Kronan
   4. Boat Trip
5. Have a little longer?
   1. Full Day: Gothenburg Islands
   2. Half Day: Nya Älvsborg Fortress

Important Information about visiting Gothenburg

• The time difference is +1 hour to the UK
• Swedish is the official language, but English is really widely spoken so it’s super easy to navigate
• The transport system is really easy to use, with trams running everywhere and the ability to swipe your card on the terminals on board (just inside the tram, past the driver) for payment. It’s then unlimited riding for 90 minutes since the first swipe at around £3.
• The weather in Gothenburg is warmest in July and August at around 25 degrees, though I visited in May to a 27 degree heatwave. The city is coldest between November and March, hovering around 5 degrees.
• A lot of attractions are closed outside of peak summer season; even when I visited in May most museums were closed during the week.
• Gothenburg is a super live-able city, but visiting as a tourist in winter would mean very little is open and the weather was poor. I’d therefore recommend only visiting May – September.
• Hotels in the centre of Gothenburg come at a premium. We stayed at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia which was lovely but not cheap. Much better value was our second hotel of the week, the Scandic Gothenburg Central, which was just as nice and half the price (in return for an extra 10 minute walk).
• Prices in Gothenburg were surprisingly affordable. We found them to be comparable, if not slightly cheaper, than the UK. Public transport is very good money.

Itinerary Day 1 – Central Gothenburg

Day 1 is all walkable around the central area of Gothenburg, where the majority of hotels and main sites are situated.

Trädgårdsföreningen Park & Palm House

The garden society park and palm house are a lovely way to start your time in Gothenburg, running alongside the water. We spent about 30 minutes meandering on through.

City Canals

Gothenburg is a city of rivers and canals, with pretty views where ever you look. We followed the river out of the park and round in to the central area, all providing nice views in the gorgeous clear light.

Gothenburg Cathedral

A calm oasis in the middle of a shopping district, Gothenburg Cathedral is a really peaceful spot. There’s live music on inside on most days, and even better there’s an ice-cream van right outside and some shady benches, perfect for a sunny day!

Gustav Adolfs Torg

One of the main squares in the city, Gustav Adolfs Torg is a lovely place for lunch. There are loads of food vans that pull up here from 11am onwards, or there are lots of restaurants around if you want something a bit more formal.

Gothenburg City Museum

Just down the road is the wonderful Gothenburg City Museum. Home to exhibits which tell the story of the city over the last 12,000 years it covers everything from Prehistoric times, to the Vikings and the modern age. We found the history really interesting around the formation of the city and its origins, and we found the museum itself to be really well done and laid out – easily spending 2 hours to read through things.

German Church

Just next door is the majestic German church, built for the many migrant Germans that settled here when the city was formed in the 1600s. Interestingly, German is still the language I heard most out and about – which made me feel quite at home!

Kronhuset

Kronhuset is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Gothenburg and is now converted in to a lovely little shop and restaurant area. I couldn’t resist the lemon meringue pie!

Lilla Bommen and Maritiman

Finshing up activities for the day, head down to the port where you can see all the amazing ships, especially Maritiman which is a living maritime museum home to multiple ships including submarines, destroyers and boat bars! We had a really fun 2 hours exploring and finishing up with a cocktail on board – even better!

Avenyn

After a long day exploring, head to Avenyn for dinner. It’s lined with lots of restaurants and I can recommend Thai Moon for some tasty Asian food with incredible cocktails, but there’s loads to choose from whatever you fancy.

Itinerary Day 2 – Further Afield

On Day 2, it’s time to leave the main city centre and either walk (around 45 mins each way) or take the tram a bit further out.

Gothenburg Botanical Garden

Full post: HERE

Oh how I fell in love with the Botanical Gardens, they are an absolute cut above other gardens I’ve been to in Europe and the Japanese Garden was beyond beautiful. I spent 3 hours and my entire morning there, though if gardens aren’t your thing or the weather is bad, you won’t need as long.

Haga

Haga is the old historic area of the city and a great spot for lunch. We wandered a few of the boutique shops and then sat in the sunshine with food and drink for a couple of hours. It’s a really nice place to just ‘get lost’.

Skansen Kronan

This old fortress sits perched on a hill and it’s quite a climb to get up – but worth it for the views. Unfortunately for us we got to the top (in 27 degree heat I may add) and it was closed for a wedding – gah! It should have provided lovely views out over the city.

Boat Trip

If you’re not exhausted, head back to Lilla Bommen for an afternoon/evening cruise. The local company, Stromma, do lovely afternoon cruises round the local islands, and sunset and dinner cruises too. Or if you want a cheaper option, their sister company Paddan, run cruises along the local canals in the city – a perfect way to finish off your visit to this wonderful city.

Have a little longer?

If you have a little longer in the city than just 2 days then I really do believe that the Gothenburg Islands are a true hidden gem of Europe and you should absolutely visit if you can. If you don’t have that much time, then there’s also a half day option (but it’s not a patch on the full day!).

Full Day: Gothenburg Islands

Full post: HERE

Then there’s only one option. Gothenburg is home to over 30 beautiful islands in a North and South archipelago. I chose to visit Branno Island in the South and it was one of the most beautiful days I’ve ever had on a trip.

Half Day: Nya Älvsborg Fortress

Full post: HERE

With half a day, an easier option is to take the Stromma ferry over to Nya Älvsborg, an old defensive fortress on an island. It’s fun to explore and a nice way to spend a sunny day away from the crowds of the city parks.

So, what did you think of Gothenburg? I really did enjoy it more than I expected to and loved the sunshine I was treated to on my visit. I don’t think it’s a city for winter, but it is a perfect spring/summer destination away from the main European tourist trail. Hope you enjoyed the trip – stay safe and happy travelling!

To me, the Olympics are the best event on earth. I have always been crazy about the Olympics, and athletics specifically. I have followed them all of my life, with some of my earliest childhood memories coming from iconic moments of the Games. I could write paragraphs on the topic, but instead will summarise to say I’ve dreamed of going my whole life, and I am so so excited to write this post of my experience, and to share my advice on planning an Olympics trip.

It was truly an experience of a lifetime, and I feel incredibly privileged to have done it. If you’re thinking about going one day, or just want to read about what it was like, read on to find out more.

Contents

1. Contents
2. My Experience
   1. Day 1: Travel from London
   2. Day 2: Men’s Football Semi Final (France vs. Egypt)
   3. Day 3: Women’s Football Semi Final (Germany vs. USA)
   4. Day 4: Athletics
   5. Day 5: Athletics & Women’s Volleyball Semi Final (Brazil vs. USA)
   6. Day 6: Canoe/Kayak Sprint & Athletics
   7. Day 7: Women’s Water polo Bronze Medal Match (Netherlands vs. USA)
3. How to plan a trip to the Olympics
   1. Tickets
   2. Cost
   3. Venue Information
   4. Other helpful tips on the Olympics
   5. Safety at the Olympics

My Experience

Day 1: Travel from London

On day 1 of our trip, we travelled down to London late afternoon and enjoyed our tradition of a date night and a Dishoom before the Eurostar. For date night we chose an open air cinema, and then scoffed an absolutely delicious meal at Dishoom – their house daal is unbeatable! We then stayed overnight in London ready for our 6am Eurostar!

Day 2: Men’s Football Semi Final (France vs. Egypt)

After an early Eurostar, we arrived in Paris. I was completely shocked by how well the transport hub of Gare du Nord was managed – there were helpers everywhere, no queues for tickets and it was super easy to navigate. Our first event wasn’t actually in Paris though, it was being held in another French city – Lyon. We therefore transited across Paris from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon (very easy on the metro), to board a train out of the city.

But before we did, we stopped for lunch at a bucket list spot for me in Gare de Lyon, Le Train Bleu. I have always wanted to eat here and I absolutely loved it! Just look at it!!! Luckily when we arrived (11.30am) it was empty as we were the first sitting for lunch.

We then boarded the train to Lyon (tickets purchased in advance), which was smooth and easy. In 2 hours, we arrived in Lyon, and after checking in to our hotel we decided to head to stadium. The organisers had put on a special shuttle to take people from Lyon centre to the event in around 30 minutes, and it was easy to find and cheap at 3EUR per person.

We arrived to watch France vs Egypt in the semi final. It was really cool to see the home nation in action, the stadium was packed and the atmosphere was really good. It felt like a big party vibe – until Egypt went 1-0 up in the second half. France managed to equalise, taking the tie to extra time. It finished 3-1 to France and the celebrations ran well in to the night. The match didn’t finish until midnight, and it took us 1.5 hours to get back to the hotel due to the crowds. I was exhausted after day 1!!!

Day 3: Women’s Football Semi Final (Germany vs. USA)

After the late night, we had a lie in and then strolled to Lyon’s old town for lunch. It was really beautiful, but also 35 degrees and baking heat so we couldn’t do too much. I’d love to go back one day and explore it further as the architecture was just beautiful.

We then walked to the train station (1hr from the old town) to catch the shuttle bus again to get out to the stadium to see the women’s football semi final between Germany and the USA. Thankfully this one started at 6pm, so we knew we wouldn’t be back as late.

The game had a lot less atmosphere than the previous night, with easily half the stadium empty. The USA fans were super vocal though with chants of ‘I believe we can, I believe we will, I believe we are the best’ in unison (eye roll, sorry to my US readers). Given my connections to Germany, I joined the chants of ‘Auf geht’s Deutschland’ instead. Sadly, my cheering didn’t help and the USA won 1-0. It was a pretty poor quality game to be honest.

Day 4: Athletics

We set off from Lyon on the return leg to Paris at 10am and arrived back in the capital at lunch time. I was SO excited to get to the athletics. My heart is in this sport, it is the highlight of any Olympics for me and my favourite athlete Matt Hudson Smith was running in the men’s 400m final that night. So, after checking in to our hotel and making a 30 minute journey out of the centre via the metro, and then a 45 minute walk from the metro to the venue, we finally arrived at the Stade de France.

We were seated in the ‘friends and family’ seating area round the top bend. We had a perfect view of the women’s pole vault final, and many of the vaulters came over to their family a few rows in front of us. We had no British interest in the final so we supported the Finnish athlete instead. She didn’t win – and the title was taken by Nina Kennedy of Australia.

We then watched the 200m semi finals, and saw Tebogo outrun Noah Lyles by a long way. I’m not a fan of Noah and was so was glad for Letsile – it’s amazing for Botswana to have such a talent on the track, and it’s great to see the diversification of athletics. We also saw the men’s discus final, won by Jamiacan Roje Stona who threw an Olympic record to beat Mykolas Alekna.

We then watched the men’s steeplechase final, which included the most horrific accident I have ever seen in 30+ years of watching athletics. The race favourite, Girma, fell on a hurdle and smashed his head on the track, lying unconscious for ages as other athletes jumped over him. Eventually he was stretchered off in a neck brace, and I was so upset by the amount of people taking photos as he was. Thankfully he is now conscious but remains in hospital days later with a serious neck injury.

Then it was time for Matt. I first saw Matt race aged 13 in Birmingham for our local athletics club, Birchfield Harriers. He’s a really shy, really kind, really humble and down to earth person. Even in his teens at Birmingham regional meets he was a class above everyone else, and watching him run for almost 20 years has been a pleasure. If you don’t know Matt’s story, he attempted suicide a few years ago after a string of disappointing results and getting to a lot of debt with health issues in the USA. Last year he won a World Championship silver medal and I shed a tear in happiness for him. I was hoping for one better for him.

I think I probably deafened the poor Swedish boy next to me as I screamed Matt on. Round our bend, he was well in the lead and down the home straight he stayed strong. He ran a personal best, a British record, a European record and the 5th fastest time in history. No-one has ever not won the Olympics running a sub 43.5. Running 43.44, he couldn’t have done any more, but in the final steps American Quincy Hall charged to the line and beat Matt by 0.04 of a second. I was absolutely devastated, but happy for him at the same time.

His lovely Mum Cheryl was sitting on our row, and she ran to the track to embrace her son. Their hug was the highlight of my Olympics.

Day 5: Athletics & Women’s Volleyball Semi Final (Brazil vs. USA)

After getting back to our hotel at 1am, we had to get up again at 7am to get back to the track for 9am. This time it was a morning session and we had a different view on the opposite side of the stadium. The highlight of the session was the start of the women’s heptathlon. We saw the first two events – the hurdles and the thrilling High Jump which saw Brit Kat Johnson Thompson clear 1.94 for the first time since rupturing her Achilles.

We also saw qualifying for the women’s shot put, the 800m repercharges and the men’s and women’s 4x100m semi finals – both of which saw GB go through to the finals.

The session finished at 1pm, and we had tickets to another event at 4pm – a new sport for us in Volleyball. We travelled the 2hrs across town to Arena Paris Sud to get to our women’s volleyball semi final between USA (again) and Brazil.

This was our favourite event for atmosphere by far. The stadium was PACKED and I had no idea how seriously Brazilians took their volleyball. They were bringing the party, and the venue did such a great job as well – between points they played Brazilian and US music so we went from Tupac to a samba in the aisles in seamless unison! We also learnt all the cheers and chants, it was great! We totally fell in love with the Brazilian fans and were really gutted that the USA won. We had emotional tears all around us.

The volleyball finished at 6.30pm, giving us an evening in Paris. We took the opportunity to have our first proper sit down meal in days, treating ourselves to steak and wine, and then a stroll along the Seine. Plus an early night was much needed after 36,000 steps and with a 6.30am alarm set!

Day 6: Canoe/Kayak Sprint & Athletics

When that alarm went off, I didn’t want to get up. Going to these events takes energy, especially for a pair of introverts. The noise, the people, the travel, the heat – it saps you. My body craved a lie in, but my heart and brain knew we couldn’t miss an event. The Canoe & Kayak sprint started at 10am and was the most annoying venue to get to. 2 metros, a shuttle bus and a 3km walk and we were finally in our seats. The venue itself was beautiful – a perfect place to sit in the sunshine and watch some boating!

There was absolutely no GB interest at all in any of the semi finals or finals we saw, so we decided to adopt Brazil again who were represented in one race, and Hungary because we love Budapest. We appear to be a bad omen for whomever we support – we saw 4 Hungarian medals but all silver/bronze and a Brazilian silver. It didn’t dampen the Brazilian mood though – the party continued.

After 4 hours, the event finished at around 2pm. We had to hot foot it back to the athletics stadium for 6pm, and find food on the way – but we were scuppered trying to get the shuttle bus back to the train station and the journey ended up taking us over 3 hours, so we had to forgo ‘proper’ food to make it to the athletics on time.

It was worth it though with a spectacular final night for us of athletics. We had incredible seats, right over the finish line. We were surrounded by fellow Brits on a night full of medal opportunities for us. We watched both 4x100m relay finals. The women’s GB team were narrowly beaten by the USA and could have won if not for awful handovers. The men got a good bronze medal and the two teams celebrated on a lap of honour together which was lovely.

Then it was time for the final event of the heptathlon, with KJT needing to make up 8 seconds on Nafi Thiam of Belgium to take the gold for Team GB. She made an amazing attempt, taking 6 seconds out and running a PB, but it wasn’t enough and she had to settle for silver. Nafi became a 3 time Olympic champion which is truly incredible.

I finished my time at the athletics having seen 3 silvers and a bronze for Team GB. I’m gutted not to have seen a gold for GB – I suppose I’ll have to try and rectify that in 2028 or 2032!

Day 7: Women’s Water polo Bronze Medal Match (Netherlands vs. USA)

We finished off our trip with another early morning start across town to La Defense Arena for another new sport – Water polo. Yet again it was the USA women in action, this time against The Netherlands in the bronze medal match.

The arena was a sea of orange and we decided to cheer for the USA in the hope that us supporting them would go in The Netherlands’ favour. The game was incredibly absorbing, with the USA taking an early lead and then Netherlands coming back to 10-10 with just a minute to play. In the last 20 seconds, the Netherlands scored, meaning they won the match! We chuckled to ourselves at our supporters curse.

And with that our time at the Olympics drew to an end – we headed back to our hotel and on to the train station to head home on the Eurostar after an exhausting but wonderful week at the Olympics. In total Team GB took home 65 medals, more than at Tokyo and the same as at London 2012, however were 7th in the medal table due to such a low proportion of golds (8 less than in Tokyo). Hopefully in LA2028 we can climb back up the medal table!

How to plan a trip to the Olympics

Tickets

• Tickets are normally released around a year prior to the Games; ensure you sign up to ticket updates well in advance of that so you know the dates for ticket releases.
• There are normally free tickets available in a ballot for nationals of the host country, everyone else goes in to a ballot for a slot to purchase.
• Interestingly for Paris, not all tickets sold. Actually we checked the app most days and there were lots of options to buy tickets every day. Often people re-sell tickets last minute as well, so some really great sports came up the night before (e.g. gymnastics, cycling, athletics).

Cost

The most common question I’ve been asked is how affordable a trip to the Olympics is. In total, our week long trip cost us £6,226 for 2 people in 4 main cost buckets: Tickets, Hotels, Travel and Expenses, and there’s plenty of scope to make it more affordable than that. For transparency, here is our cost breakdown.

• There are multiple ticket categories, ranging from A to D. We chose a mix, largely because we were restricted by what was available. We purchased tickets for two people to 8 events and in total the tickets cost us £3,710, broken down as follows:
  • Athletics evening session (Category A): £1,300
  • Athletics evening session (Category A, with UK Athletics invite discount): £600
  • Volleyball afternoon session (Category B): £480
  • Canoe morning session (Category A): £350
  • Waterpolo morning session (Category C): £350
  • Athletics morning session (Category B): £300
  • Football session women (Category B): £180
  • Football session men (Category C): £150
• In total, we spent £1,524 on hotels for the week. Top saving tip: Book fully refundable hotels well in advance, and then check prices before you travel. Often prices are reduced last minute for hotels if they are not fully booked.
  • In Lyon, we stayed in the Radisson Blu (4*). When we booked a year in advance it was £1,500. The day before we travelled, it was £212 for the same time period. I cancelled the initial booking and rebooked at the new price.
  • In Paris, we stayed at the Hotel Camille Paris Gare de Lyon (4*). Initial booking was £2,430 and with the re-book tactic it was £1,312 a week before we travelled.
• Travel will vary massively depending on how far you’re travelling. In total we spent £680 on travel, made up of £450 on Eurostar train tickets, £80 on Paris travel passes, and £150 on return train tickets from Paris to Lyon.
• Whilst at the Games, we spent £312 on expenses – food, souvenirs, drinks etc.

Venue Information

• When planning your Olympics trip, nothing is more important than knowing where your events are. You will never have a city centre venue with walking distance to a stadium, aquatics centre, open water venue, multiple indoor stadiums, etc so you will have to travel significant distances to get around.
• Venues can be absolutely miles apart – we found on days where we had an event at 10am and event at 6/7pm, we were only just making it in time. Often venues are c.1 hr out of town and can be 2-3 hours apart from other venues. Then double the ‘no crowds’ travel time to account for the crowds. On some days we had to queue over an hour to get on the metro, for example. Planning sensible routes (with time padding) on each day is really important.
• Plan for your hotel to be somewhere near a station/transport hub to enable you to minimise travel and walking time.
• Ensure you know which travel zones your venues are in so you can sort you travel tickets when you arrive. For Paris there were multiple travel card options to cover different zones and timeframes. It was great to have 1 card which lasted us all week and got us everywhere we needed to with no fuss.

Other helpful tips on the Olympics

• Get in speed walking training (!) – even walking from metro/train stops to venues could be a 5km walk. We walked over 20,000 steps a day easily. On one day we walked 36,000 steps and I honestly came home physically exhausted. These cities are big and covering walking between venues and public transport adds up.
• Give yourself time – everywhere is busy, though it was only unbearably so on exits from venues when everyone is doing so at the same time. Leaving a stadium at 10pm and not getting back to the hotel at 1am purely because of queues for everything, then getting up at 8am to get to a venue for 10am the next day was pretty tiring.
• Don’t squeeze in too many events – one event a day enables things to be done at a nice pace, and 2 events a day is the max you can fit in (unless you’re not moving venue). I recommend a mix of both types of day to build in some rest. If you have children with you and need extra time, this is even more important.
• Take food to venues – we found the stadium food to be not very nice and queues ridiculous. Most events are also timed over lunch and dinner times. Venues allowed you to take small backpacks in so we loaded ours with food and water. That does mean you rarely get a ‘proper’ sit down meal. In our entire week at the Games, we only managed two restaurant meals.
• Cushions – if you have room, pack seat cushions. The seats were horrendous to have to sit in for 3+ hours a session and we both came home with bad backs. Also if you’re in shorts/skirt, your skin sticks to the plastic chairs and it’s really grim. So take a cushion if you can.

Safety at the Olympics

My biggest concern about the Olympics was safety. I thought the public transport networks would be overwhelmed and vulnerable but I have to say at no point did I feel unsafe.

• There were hundreds of armed police on duty at all times and at all stations. We saw police units from France, Slovenia, Germany and Serbia so there was a lot of back up in place!
• The volunteers were AMAZING. They kept everything clear and well organised, managed crowd control and meant I never felt on an overcrowded bus/metro etc. They also meant everyone knew where they needed to go, directions were clear and help was on hand if you needed anything.
• Roadblocks were set up everywhere between transport stops and venues so walking to events was easy and with no risk of anyone being run over. Police monitored the roads at all times and controlled road crossings to manage crowds.
• Planes flew over the stadiums to stop any aerial attacks or problems. Whilst at the Stade de France, a police plane was constantly flying overhead monitoring everything. In Lyon, drones flew every 10 minutes or so.

And there you have it – my experience of a full on but absolutely INCREDIBLE week at the Olympics. The Hannah of 1996 making medals out of cardboard and tin foil and running around the house pretending to be Michael Johnson, the Hannah of 2000 getting up at 3am to secretly watch the canoe slalom before school on a tiny old black and white TV in her bedroom, the Hannah of 2004 crying at Darren Campbell being beaten to Gold, the Hannah of 2008 watching Usain Bolt catapult athletics to a new level, the Hannah of 2012 so upset not to get any tickets in the ballot and not able to afford to go, the Hannah of 2016 screaming at Max Whitlock’s double golden afternoon, the Hannah of 2020 who couldn’t go on the planned trip to Tokyo due to COVID….led to the Hannah of 2024 living her best life finally there. It was a privilege, an honour and one of the best weeks of my life. Now, can I have a nap please?

Contents

1. Contents
2. History of Ben Youssef Madrasa
3. What to see at Ben Youssef Madrasa
   1. The Main Courtyard
   2. The Prayer Room
   3. The Student Rooms
   4. Ablutions Chamber
4. Important Information about Ben Youssef Madrasa

History of Ben Youssef Madrasa

Madrasa means ‘school’ and the first school founded on this site was in the 1300s, though that building was later replaced by the one you see today.

The incredible place you find today was commissioned in 1564 as a place of learning by the Saadian sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib. At its height, it accommodated 900 students and was the largest Islamic college in the Maghreb. It contains over 130 rooms and students lived, studied and prayed in this building.

Ben Youssef was a vital place of learning across Morocco and Andalusia, spreading knowledge and understanding across the region. It wasn’t closed until the 1960s, and wasn’t opened as a tourist attraction until 1982. It was closed between 2018 – 2022 for restoration, and now it’s doors are open to its full glory again.

What to see at Ben Youssef Madrasa

The Madrasa is a typical Riad – square in shape with no doors or windows to the outside (bar the entrance), but opening in to a huge open courtyard with the rooms leading off of it. There are then lots of mini Riads off the main centre, around which the student rooms are situated, across 3 floors and totalling 1,680sqm.

The Main Courtyard

The Main Courtyard is the centre piece of the Madrasa, and you access it via a thin entrance way from the street. This process of entry, like in many Islamic buildings, is carefully designed to inspire revelation and astonishment in an unexpected opening of space into the main courtyard. it worked on me. WOW. The courtyard is itself is also centered around a large shallow reflective pool, adding to the space’s beauty. I also absolutely loved the symmetry everywhere.

The Prayer Room

Just off the courtyard to the south is the incredible Prayer Hall, equipped with a mihrab (which shows the direction of prayer towards Mecca). The decoration here is especially rich stucco, and utterly breathtaking again. Interestingly in Islamic decoration, calligraphy and shapes are the most common decorations and you won’t see any human/animal art as this is considered idolism. The most common shapes to see are pentagons (representing the 5 pillars of Islam) and octagons (representing the 8 gates to heaven).

The Student Rooms

The layout of the Ben Youssef madrasa contains student dormitory cells clustered around the first and second levels of the central courtyard. There are cells on the ground floor, arranged round a mini Riad, while two stairways from the vestibule give access to similar corridors on the second level. The dorm rooms are additionally arranged around a series of six small courtyards which open on both levels from these corridors.

I was really surprised by how small some of the dormitories were – those on the ground floor were the smallest, and could sleep up to 6! The rooms on the upper floors were bigger, and normally for the best students in the Madrasa.

Ablutions Chamber

On the ground floor, the eastern corridor from the vestibule also gives access to an ablutions chamber in the northeastern corner of the building. The chamber has a square floor plan with four marble columns upholding four arches, and the middle of the chamber is occupied by a square water basin, surrounded by a number of toilets around the perimeter.

Important Information about Ben Youssef Madrasa

• Opening Times: 09:00 – 17:30 daily
• Cost: 50MAD (10 MAD for children under 12), cash only
• Visit Early: The crowds here get overwhelming. I visited first thing in the morning in March (off season) and the main courtyard was still pretty full at 09:10!
• There is no dress code to enter the Madrasa, however, I do recommend dressing conservatively to respect local traditions.

What do you think of the Madrasa? I absolutely loved my visit, and it was definitely one of the highlights of my visit to Marrakech. Let me know what you think in the comments below! Stay safe and happy travelling!

As I pulled up in my taxi at the entrance to my hotel for the week, I knew instantly I was in for a treat. I love finding hotels like this – small, overshadowed by famous neighbours (La Mamounia), but utterly, utterly stunning. Easily sailing in to my top 10 hotels of all time – enter The Oberoi.

Location

My husband was in Casablanca, but was coming to Marrakech for his next set of meetings (one of which as it happens, ended up happening in Paris last minute so he had to dial in – I lose track of the man). I decided Marrakech was the place for me, and I boarded a flight direct from London.

I had initially planned to stay in a hotel central to Marrakech, but then I found The Oberoi. Situated around a 25 minute car journey from the Old Town (Medina) of Marrakech, it looked like something out of a fairytale. I couldn’t resist and in I booked.

Getting in to central Marrakech from the hotel is easy, with the hotel running a free daily shuttle and offering cars if the shuttle times don’t suit. It’s also close enough for day trips to the Atlas Mountains and forays in to the desert.

The hotel also offers airport transfers included within the price for accommodation so arrival and departure is also simple.

Accommodation

There are only 60 villas at The Oberoi, built in traditional Moroccan style with the famous red clay and having no windows to the outside. They are situated around a courtyard housing 4 villas each, full of flowers and greenery, plus a water feature.

The villa itself was spacious, comprising a large bedroom/living area, a beautifully ornate hallway, dressing area and walk in wardrobe, leading through to a large bathroom with separate toilet, soaking tub and the biggest show you ever did see. The accommodation was kept pristine, with daily room cleans and a nightly turn down service. The service was really attentive. As an example, on the first day, we both had our laptops in the safe but mouses (mice?) out on the desks. The staff left us 2 mouse mats and a note saying they hoped we weren’t working too hard!

I also absolutely loved the details everywhere, the sink being my favourite (not a sentence I often write). There was also patterned wood, carpet and fabrics in the room which were really beautiful. Another nice touch was that you can access the villa’s pool from both the main living area and via the shower, perfect for getting clean after a day on the sun loungers!

Speaking of the pool, the outdoor patio area to the back of the villa stole the show. It was incredible to sit and have breakfast at the table, and enjoy the loungers with our books before a dip to cool off in the pool. It was also completely private, in the traditional Moroccan style, in a closed off garden – a bit like our own private Riyad courtyard area.

Food & Drink

The food and drink at The Oberoi is amazing. There are three restaurants on site – Rivayat (Indian), Tamimt (Mediterranean) and Azur (lunch time by the pool area). There is also a cocktail bar, Vue.

We found Rivayat to be our favourite and were absolutely blown away by the menu in there – the Aloo Tikki and Black Olive Chicken were so tasty we had them twice. We also had such incredible service from our waiter, Imad, who was so kind and helpful.

Tamimt provided the most beautiful views out over the hotel garden, and the pool bar Azur served such a tasty burger – so you couldn’t go wrong with any choice.

In general we found the service at The Oberoi a level above, even for a luxury hotel. We both agreed it’s the best service we have ever had, highlighted by the fact that Mamdouh (who was in charge of the hotel while we stayed), was at pretty much every meal, talking to every single guest and knowing all by name. He was constantly asking for feedback which he actioned, and I was so impressed at the personal nature of it. I’ve never seen that same attention to guest satisfaction at every level of management before – it must take a lot of effort and is a testament to everyone who works at the hotel.

We also had a special food experience whilst staying at The Oberoi, as we visited during Ramadan. We participated in a day of fasting and then sharing Iftar in the evening to break the fast. This was held in the hotel’s central courtyard.

Amenities & Experiences

I’m going to start with architecture as an experience. I can’t tell you how breathtakingly beautiful this hotel is. Everywhere I turned, I felt like I was in a royal palace. Architecturally, it’s set up as a traditional Moroccan building – unassuming from the outside, opening up in to numerous courtyards (Riads) with rooms off them. I loved it. The main courtyard (pictured above by night) takes inspiration from the historic Ben Youssef Madrasa, built in the 14th century; one of Marrakech’s most famous historic monuments.

The truly special part was off the main Riad, with sweeping views down the garden, reminding me of a cross between Moroccan Royal Palaces and the Alhambra in Spain. The first time I saw the view it literally made me stop and exclaim.

The Oberoi’s gardens are also something to behold. Set up with beautiful symmetry, the views up and down the central part were ‘pinch myself’ moments every time I saw them.

As if that wasn’t enough, the hotel is full of intricate and beautiful little details in corners and colours everywhere. It also offers a large outdoor pool, which has day beds, hammocks and a bar that you can enjoy.

There is also an indoor pool and spa, with a nice sun deck next to it, overlooking a natural pond full of fish and turtles. We had a massage in the spa, and I have to admit mine wasn’t that great. They didn’t ask if I had allergies and I came up in a big reaction to the oil, nor did they ask where I wanted the massage to focus or what pressure I liked so I didn’t get as good an experience as I have in other hotels (but please don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining!)

Finally, as if that wasn’t enough, the hotel also offers a number of experiences outside of the hotel. These include tours around Marrakech, as well as further afield such as in to The Atlas Mountains or the famous Ouzod Waterfalls. We didn’t take any trips with the hotel, but I can only imagine they would be absolutely amazing.

So what do you think of The Oberoi? We absolutely fell in love with it and I plan to bring one of my best friends back here with me at some point in the next couple of years as I know she’ll love it. She saved my life back in 2021 and I promised her when her children were old enough I’d repay her with a special girls’ holiday – she wanted that to be ‘somewhere hot without a long flight’, so I think I’ve found just the place.

Stay safe and happy travelling everyone!

I’ve collated my favourite experiences in to a perfect itinerary across 2 days, though as the city is so busy and full on, I actually did these things across 3 days to spread them out and have some down time to avoid sensory overload! So whether you have 2 or 3 days – let’s go!

Contents

1. Contents
2. Marrakech Information
   1. Language & Time zone
   2. Useful tips for Marrakech
3. Is Marrakech safe?
4. 2 Day Marrakech Itinerary
   1. Itinerary Day 1: Central Marrakech
      1. Koutoubia Mosque
      2. Saadian Tombs
      3. Badi Palace
      4. Mellah (Jewish Quarter)
      5. Bahia Palace
      6. Jemaa el-Fnaa
      7. The Souks: El Bahja, Semmarine
   2. Itinerary Day 2: Jardin Majorelle and North Marrakech
      1. Jardin Majorelle
      2. Ben Youssef Madrasa
      3. Musee de Marrakech
      4. Le Jardin Secret
      5. The Souks: Haddadine, Cherratin, Attarine, Babouches
      6. Foundouk Tadlaoui
5. Where to stay in Marrakech

Marrakech Information

Language & Time zone

The two official languages in Morocco are Arabic and Moroccan Berber. Due to its colonial history, French is also widely spoken, and most visitors we encountered were French speaking. English is spoken in the main tourist areas, but much less so outside of the main cities.

Marrakech is normally +1hr GMT, however during Ramadan (when I visited) there is no time difference to the UK.

Useful tips for Marrakech

• You can’t buy Moroccan Dirhams outside of Morocco, so bring your local currency with you to exchange (to save on having to get cash out at an ATM for a fee).
• You will need cash, all bar 2 attractions in this entire itinerary only took cash, and taxis only take cash as well.
• Marrakech is a Muslim country so it’s important to be aware and respectful of local customs. If you’re visiting during Ramadan (as I did), many restaurants close and you cannot eat or drink in public.
• It is illegal to be gay in Morocco. I cannot speak from that perspective or experience, but please be mindful of it if it’s relevant to you.
• Getting around Marrakech can be stressful. Whilst the Medina area is wholly walkable, getting out further means depending on taxis and having to haggle taxi prices. If your hotel isn’t in the Medina, it’s worth checking with your hotel if they run a free shuttle and/or can provide you contact details of a known taxi driver.

Is Marrakech safe?

A lot of people worry about whether Marrakech is safe. Whilst no travel can ever be guaranteed 100% safe, I can honestly say it was totally fine for me. As with any major city just be mindful of your belongings as pickpocketing is common, and take reasonable precautions, including not walking along looking at your phone, which was by far the biggest hazard causer we encountered in crowded spaces. Motorbikes/scooters speed through the Souks, and we saw 3 tourists (all glued to their phones) knocked over, with one hurt – so please stay alert.

People worry about the hassling in the Souks, but I didn’t find it too bad. I wasn’t approached that many times, and a firm no was enough when I was and wasn’t interested. I also visited the Medina solo one day and wasn’t hassled. I just recommend being respectful of local customs and covering up so that shoulders and knees aren’t on show.

However, I do have to highlight poor Moroccan Health and Safety. A close friend who is my direct report at work went on holiday to Marrakech last year (2023) with a group of friends, staying at the 5* Jaal Riad resort. One of his friends went for a massage but a fire broke out and he was trapped in the room – he died, along with his masseuse. So please be mindful of health & safety here, even in 5* resorts. If a fire broke out in the Souks, I dread to think what would happen.

2 Day Marrakech Itinerary

Itinerary Day 1: Central Marrakech

Koutoubia Mosque

The Koutoubia Mosque is the largest Mosque in Marrakech, and one of the oldest Mosques in the country – dating back to the 12th century. Morocco is a Muslim country, and I actually visited during the Holy Month of Ramadan. There’s something very special about hearing the call to prayer ring out across the city.

Saadian Tombs

The Saadian Tombs are an historic Royal necropolis in the Kasbah region of town, where the ancient Royal Family of Marrakech are buried. Whilst the tombs are open from 9am-4pm, from 9.30am the line to view Al Mansour’s chamber can easily reach 1hr long or more. My advice is to therefore get there for opening time – I arrived at 9.15am and had to queue for 45 minutes (and I visited in off-season in March)!

Badi Palace

Badi Palace, translating as ‘Palace of Brilliance’ is a ruined palace in the centre of Marrakech. It was commissioned by the sultan Ahmad al-Mansur of the Saadian Dynasty (whose tombs we just visited) a few months after his accession in 1578, with construction and embellishment continuing throughout most of his reign. Today it’s nice to walk around the Palace and there are a few exhibitions to explore too. However, the Palace was badly damaged by the 2023 earthquake and as such not all of the grounds were open on my visit.

Mellah (Jewish Quarter)

The Mellah of Marrakesh was created by decree of the Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib of the Saadian dynasty in 1558, outside of the walls of the afore visited El Badi Palace. It is historically a Jewish area, and during the 16th and 17th centuries, the Mellah was one of the main commercial areas of the city. The Jewish Mellah was formed when Jews were fleeing persecution in Europe. Today, 2 synagogues remain, plus a Jewish Cemetery, Mellah Market and the Spice Market. We really enjoyed strolling the area.

Bahia Palace

One of my highlights was this 19th Century Palace, made up of a series of Riads. In Moroccan culture, a house is built with no external windows or doors (save the entrance). Instead, all light comes from an open courtyard within, with the rooms all lying off the central, roofless opening. I absolutely love this and if the weather in England could survive it, I’d be trying it at home. Bahai Palace is made up of 5 main Riads within the Palace, and we loved them all. Be warned though, get here early or the crowds can be completely overwhelming.

Jemaa el-Fnaa

Probably my least favourite spot on this itinerary, Jemaa el-Fnaa is the main square. In the morning it’s largely empty, by lunch time there are animals like snakes and monkeys, and everyone selling everything, and by evening it’s full of food stalls likely to give you a bout of food poisoning. I found it to be the only spot I didn’t take any pleasure in visiting, but I suppose you have to see the main ‘square’ of a city at least once.

The Souks: El Bahja, Semmarine

I was a little worried about what the Souks would be like, but I needn’t have been. The Souks just off the main square, Jemaa el-Fnaa, are a delight to explore. Souk Semmarine is one of the main arteries of the Souks, kind of like Marrakech’s equivalent to Bond Street in London, full of colours, noises and smells. It can be a bit of a sensory overload, but in small doses it was pretty magical taking it all in.

Itinerary Day 2: Jardin Majorelle and North Marrakech

Jardin Majorelle

The Majorelle Garden is a one-hectare botanical garden and artist’s landscape garden in Marrakesh, Morocco. Created in the 1920s, it’s famous for it’s blue buildings and beautiful plants. It’s easy to spend an hour or so here, and definitely one of the highlights of a trip to Marrakech. However, be warned, you have to order tickets online in advance and it is HEAVING. Plus, it’s not in the centre of town so will be a 40 minute walk if you’re staying in the Medina, or further if you’re outside of the city.

Ben Youssef Madrasa

Full Guide: HERE.

Without a doubt my favourite part of my visit to Marrakech, the Ben Youssef Madrasa is special. Once a school, founded in the 1500s by the Sultan of the time, young men came here to study. Today you can visit the courtyard, mosque and explore the rooms that students would have slept in (they are tiny, and slept up to 6 per room!). The architecture is absolutely awe inspiring, I was gawping around every corner.

Musee de Marrakech

The Marrakech Museum isn’t a modern, interactive museum. The Museum is housed in an old Palace built in the early 1900s, and today it exhibits mainly art and a few faded educational boards. However, its appeal is in its architecture which is truly stunning, the fact that inside is an old Hammam which you can walk around, and that it’s fairly free of crowds unlike most other stops on this itinerary.

Le Jardin Secret

The Secret Garden lies in the heart of the Souks, offering respite to anyone needing to escape the bustling crowds. Home to an exotic global garden, and a traditional Islamic garden, it’s a lovely place to pause. There’s also a nice Café at the top of the tower in the garden offering beautiful views out over the Islamic part of the park.

The Souks: Haddadine, Cherratin, Attarine, Babouches

As I said above, I was worried about the Souks, but I had no need to be. I actually even solo explored this section of Souks and didn’t experience anything negative. This section of Souks is the main Souk area within Marrakech’s Medina. Here you’ll find the metal, lamps and lampshades Souk (Haddadine), Leather and Bags Souk (Cherratin), Kitchen Utensils Souk (Attarine), and the famous Moroccan shoes Souks (Babouches). The shoes were undoubtedly my favourite.

Foundouk Tadlaoui

A hidden gem to finish off the day is Foundouk Tadlaoui, just off a main Medina street. Recently restored, this beautiful courtyard is now a mini Souk in itself, home to an array of shops through its archways of traditional craftsmen and women. I loved the wooden box maker who was carving beautiful intricate boxes with his feet, the huge vases set up in the courtyard itself and the atmospheric carpets hanging everywhere. I have to confess to solo browsing in here for ages and haggling for a pot.

Where to stay in Marrakech

If you want an authentic Moroccan experience, then a Riad in the Medina is definitely a great option. Please just be aware of the area your Riad is in so you make sure you’re staying in a nice part of town, and don’t be taken in by Instagram – make sure it’s fire safe and a reputable hotel. I didn’t choose a Riad as I couldn’t find a central one I was 100% confident in (probably an over reaction due to my friend’s experience, mentioned above in the safety section), and instead opted for a hotel outside the centre of town.

The Oberoi Marrakech, my choice for a few nights, was out of this world – I loved staying there so much I even plan to return (which is rare for me). For other hotel options, there are a number of high end gorgeous properties just outside the Medina, including La Mamounia, and Royal Mansour. There are also a number of chain hotels such as Ibis, Novotel and Radisson and something to suit every budget.

So there you have it – what do you think of Marrakech? I really fell in love with the city and highly recommend it. I will definitely return one day to make sure I see the nearby Atlas Mountains and manage a trip in to the desert. Thanks for reading – stay safe and happy travelling!

So off I headed on a visit. I thought it a lovely little place, needing no more than a full day to enjoy all the main sites, making it a perfect day trip option along the French Riviera.

Contents

1. Contents
2. How to get from Nice to Monaco
3. A bit about Monaco
4. Things to do in Monaco
   1. The Prince’s Palace
   2. Saint Martin Gardens
   3. Monaco Cathedral
   4. Museums of Monaco
   5. Monaco Old Town
   6. Walk/Drive the legendary F1 Track
   7. Casino of Monte Carlo
   8. Japanese Garden
   9. Port Hercules
   10. Metropole Shopping Centre

How to get from Nice to Monaco

Getting from Nice to Monaco is easy, with a direct train from Nice Ville to Monaco, taking around 30 minutes.

Buying tickets is not so simple. At Nice Ville there are no service desks with people and all tickets have to be purchased from machines which aren’t the easiest to operate and even in offseason had queues of around 10-15 people. It took us around 45 minutes to get our tickets. When we did get our tickets they didn’t work at the barrier and we had to jump the barrier as there were no staff at all in the station to help.

Note: The next day we were back on the trains so bought tickets online in advance, but those barcodes didn’t work either and we had to jump the barriers again. Ridiculous.

A bit about Monaco

Monaco is such an interesting place so here are some of my favourite facts:

• 1 in 3 people who live in Monaco are millionaires! It also has a poverty rate of zero. Madness.
• Monaco is smaller than New York’s Central Park, being less than 1 square mile big. It still packs in 38,000 inhabitants though, making it pretty busy!
• Monaco’s residents are actually banned from entering the Casino, which is crazy when it’s home to one of the most famous casinos in the world. Only foreigners can actually gamble there and there’s a passport check on entry.
• Monaco has the world’s highest life expectancy at nearly 89. I assume there’s a direct link to wealth and living standard.
• Lots of wealthy famous people live/have lived in Monaco. Lots of F1 drivers live here (and Charles Leclerc is actually Monagasque by birth), and people like Bono, Shirley Bassey, Ringo Starr and Grace Kelly have all lived here at some point.

Things to do in Monaco

Monaco is a very walkable city, and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring. It’s basically split in to two areas – the new area consisting of the Casinos, shops, F1 route and restaurants, and the old town area home to the palaces and museums. We spent the morning in the Old Town and afternoon in the newer area.

The Prince’s Palace

Probably the most famous attraction in Monaco, the Prince’s Palace sits at the heart of the Old Town. It’s still the residence of the Grimaldi Family, the Prince of Monaco Albert II and his wife Charlène. Part of the Palace is open from April – October and you are able to see:

• The main courtyard and its marble staircase
• The Hercules Gallery and its incredible frescoes
• The State Apartments

I’d have loved to have seen inside, but as I visited in March I wasn’t able to. One for next time!

Saint Martin Gardens

Just down the road from the Palace are the absolutely amazing Saint Martin Gardens. This place is special for it’s views out across the crystal clear bright blue water, and lots of sculptures and plants on the cliff side. I really liked it and it was my favourite thing to do on this list.

Monaco Cathedral

Still in the Old Town area, Monaco Cathedral is well worth a visit, mainly because it is in this cathedral that Prince Rainier married American actress Grace Kelly in 1956. She later died after suffering a brain aneurysm whilst driving in Monaco and went off a cliff! The tomb of Princess Grace of Monaco, as well as that of the deceased Princes, can be seen inside.

Museums of Monaco

Monaco offers a number of great museum options. In the old town, we had a quick sweep around the Oceanography Museum which was amazing, home to a large aquarium and a marine museum. You could also choose to visit any of the below – I had wanted to visit the car collection but it was closed on the day of my visit.

• Oceanography Museum
• National Museum of Monaco
• Private Car Collection of the Prince of Monaco
• Monaco Naval Museum

Monaco Old Town

Before leaving the Old Town, a final stroll is well worth it. Take in the views down to Port de Fontvielle, see the incredible Palais de Justice, stroll the ramparts and visit the Panoramic view point. I also recommend lunch in the Old Town before heading down the hill to the newer area of the country.

Walk/Drive the legendary F1 Track

As the Monaco Grand Prix was happening only a few weeks after my visit, everything was in full flow being set up and areas of the road were already set up for spectators and closed off. The Monaco GP is held as a street race, meaning it’s not on a track, but instead just round the existing streets. Monaco is narrow and hilly so it’s a really legendary track. Lots of people were driving the track route in hired Ferraris, but I settled on walking it. I particularly liked the ‘most famous bend in the world’, and wonder how on earth people drive cars at 100mph round it!

I’m an F1 nut job (I’m Team LH so am having to ditch my Merc merch for Ferrari next year which I’m not happy about), but even I was delighted to watch Charles Leclerc (Monagasque by birth) win the Monaco GP just a couple of weeks after my visit – especially as he had awful luck previously so this was his first win here.

Casino of Monte Carlo

Another Monaco icon is Monte Carlo Casino. Even if you are not a fan of slot machines or roulette, you should at least see the building as it’s beautiful (it was built by Charles Garnier, he of Paris Opera Hall fame).

I was annoyed with myself as you can visit inside the Casino in the morning just to see inside the building for a small fee, but from 2pm, entry is restricted to gamblers. Arriving at 2.03pm, I cursed myself.

Japanese Garden

Right on the river front down from the Casino is another gorgeous garden, the Japanese Garden. It was such an odd find amongst the ever growing skyscrapers of the city, but it was peaceful and beautiful as well.

Port Hercules

At this point we’d walked a lot, so we decided to head to the port area and get some ice-cream while watching the mega yachts and boats come in. There are also some nice restaurant options around. If you’re visiting in Winter, this is also where you’ll find the fun fair (Oct – Nov) and Christmas markets (Nov – Dec).

Metropole Shopping Centre

As a final stop before heading back to Nice, we went in to the Metropole Shopping Centre. Whilst Monaco is all about luxury shopping so I didn’t buy anything, it was fun looking in the windows and the Metropole Shopping Centre is beautiful in and of itself as a place to visit.

So there you have it – a long day exploring Monaco and some of its main attractions. I would go back to take in a couple more of the museums, and go inside both the Palace and the Casino, but I felt a day was long enough to see all the main sites. What do you think? Stay safe and happy travelling!

It was of course, like the rest of our visit, raining. But that meant we had Villefranche largely to ourselves and wow was it beautiful!

How to get to Villefrance-sur-mer from Nice

Getting to Villefranche is easy from Nice, as it’s just a 7 minute direct train ride from Nice’s main station, Nice Ville.

You’ll need to get to the station early though because buying tickets isn’t simple. You can purchase them from the blue machines in the terminal (there are no people selling tickets), but the queues get quite big so if possible, purchase them the night before. Even when we’d bought tickets the ticket didn’t let us through the barrier and there were no staff on duty to help – so we had to jump the barriers!

Things to do in Villefranche-sur-mer

Villefranche is the kind of place you go to just ‘be’ – to wander the postcard-perfect hamlet full of vibrant shades of yellows and pinks paving the narrow streets – is a true treat. It’s full of French Riviera glamour, and well worth at least half a day of your time.

The Beach

The train stops right by the beach, so the first stop of the day is enjoying the beautiful clear waters of the bay. Given it was 9 degrees on our visit, we didn’t go swimming, but it was still absolutely beautiful.

The Promenade

Strolling from the beach to the Old Town takes you along the promenade lined with shops and restaurants. It’s the perfect place to grab a coffee and watch the boats/yachts go by on one side and people watch on the other.

The Old Town

Without a doubt the star of the show in Villefranche is its stunning Old Town. It’s a maze of narrow streets in beautiful colours and gorgeous walkways. Even better there’s a wine bar around every corner so we paused twice to sample the local (absolutely amazing) wine.

Have a little longer?

If you have longer than half a day to a day to spend in Villefranche then there are other options to add on to your trip. You could choose to visit:

• Eze – the beautiful hilltop medieval village just a couple of train stops away (we did this, spending the morning in Villefranche and the afternoon in Eze).
• Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild – the picturesque villa of the banking family set in lovely gardens
• Nice – hop on the train out to Nice for a wander round the famous beach side city
• Monaco – the glamourous tiny country just 15 minutes along the coast from Villefranche by train

And that’s a wrap on beautiful little Villefranche-sur-mer. What did you think? We had such a lovely morning exploring and would recommend it to anyone visiting the French Riviera. Stay safe and happy travelling!

What is Ramadan & what is Marrakech like during Ramadan?

Ramadan is the most holy month in Islam, marked by fasting from dawn to sunset. It aims to foster self-discipline, empathy and spiritual reflection. It’s celebrated across the Islamic world. During Ramadan, Muslims focus on prayer, self reflection and community. Muslims have five regular daily prayers, and during Ramadan, there’s a special night prayer called taraweeh.

During Ramadan, drinking and eating in public is forbidden. This is the same in Marrakech, and many restaurants close their doors. However, as it is a tourist heavy city, you won’t struggle to find a number of restaurants that stay open and most hotels also continue to serve food, drinks and alcohol.

What is Iftar?

Iftar is the time of day in the evening when those observing Ramadan break their fast. The Iftar is a feast, consisting of local delicacies and traditional food.

Our hotel encouraged guests during Ramadan to join in fasting and sharing in a communal Iftar to gain an understanding of the cultures and traditions of Islam. We decided to do just this, and are really glad we did.

Our experience of fasting & Iftar

Whilst of course a day fasting and experiencing Iftar in a hotel cannot be claimed to be totally authentic, I really learned a lot. Fasting was hard (especially when I had a coughing fit and couldn’t take water), but I did feel a sense of achievement and totally agree it required me to have self discipline. I can easily see how it enhances connection to oneself and the community with which you share the experience.

I also realised how important it is for those in my team who are practicing Muslims to be able to work from home, attend prayers and adjust their working hours during Ramadan. I do ensure my team are able to do this, but it made me even more appreciative of the need to ensure this happens 100% of the time.

I also learned a lot about the local foods of Morocco during Ramadan in particular, and enjoyed sampling them all. Here are some of the highlights:

• Harira – a delicious tomato and lentil soup. My photos make it look unappealing but it was so tasty!
• Baghrir – a cross between a cake and a crumpet, the delicious light dish is often paired with tea
• Mint tea – a cleansing and delicious version of a favourite
• Stuffed bread – Moroccans have a tradition of baking bread in a communal oven, a ‘Ferrane’. Small breads are then stuffed with tasty fillings – I had tuna and vegetables in mine.
• Chebakkia – sesame cookies in a flower shape are one of the most popular Iftar table treats during Ramadan in Morocco
• Ghriba – Almond cookies, which I went nowhere near but the husband loved
• Briouate – sweet and savoury filled pastries that normally come in triangles

Of course, there were then also many traditional Moroccan foods on offer at our Iftar feast including barbequed meat, cous cous, tagines and even lamb brains in chermoula sauce – we tried them and they weren’t awful, but also weren’t our favourite!

All in all, we had a great time learning more about the importance of Ramadan, understanding the Iftar feast and sampling a lot of dishes which were new to us. I certainly can’t claim to be an educated expert, but I’m really glad I had the experience and would recommend it to anyone who gets the chance to do the same!

Stay safe and happy travelling.

It’s me again, MTH, being rolled out for my regular guest post slot.

Hannah was livid with me. In December 2023, I organised a work trip to Japan for March 2024. Hannah booked the time off work and would come out to join me, spending a week to herself in Tokyo while I worked, and then we’d spend a week together winding our way to Kyoto. And then my client in Japan announced that the week I’d booked to go, they’d actually be visiting one of their sites in Morocco and so instead I needed to go to Morocco.

So I had to head to Casablanca. Hannah decided that instead of taking 2 weeks off work, she’d fly out to meet me after my week in Casablanca and we’d meet up in Marrakech instead for a long weekend. At least something of a last minute trip was salvaged, and we had a wonderful time in Marrakech – more on that from Hannah of course.

But before she joined me, I found myself in Casablanca. She’s called this post a canter around Casablanca, but it was really more of a hot and sweaty slow walk – I suppose that didn’t sound as catchy.

I stayed in the Sofitel. It was a nice hotel (though very purple) and a good base close to the city. The food there was decent and it was comfortable and clean. It also has an indoor pool so I made the most of being able to go for a swim each morning.

After settling in, I decided I should explore Casablanca. It’s actually Morocco’s largest city, and its economic/business centre. It’s right on the waterfront and home to Morocco’s main port, and I thought it’d be a waste (and Hannah would be annoyed) if I didn’t go and see some of the sites. Even though it was 28 degrees and all I wanted was to sit and relax.

First up, a 30 minute walk to Hassan II Mosque, the second largest functioning mosque in Africa. It’s absolutely huge and really detailed in its design. I wanted to do a tour but I’d missed the time slot.

However, perhaps even better, there is a Hammam underneath the mosque so I decided to book in for the experience. I was a little apprehensive going it alone but figured I’d regret it if I didn’t try. Pre Hannah MTH would have had an absolute fit at the thought of going to an underground hammam below a mosque (I’m not sure he even knew what a hammam was!) in a city he’d never been to, alone.

But post Hannah MTH figured he’s navigated literally dozens of countries alone, been in a few hammams and knows the etiquette, knows a few Arabic and French words, and felt like a massage was exactly what he needed. The massage was nice but shorter than advertised, though the hammam itself was pretty cool, with traditional design and tiles. Overall I’d give it a 7/10.

After that relaxation, it was time to tackle the Medina. I didn’t feel at all unsafe, but it did feel like an assault on my senses and afterwards I just wanted to sit in a dark room alone with no stimulation! My highlight though was the olive market as I do love a good olive, and bought quite a few.

After another 30 minute stint, I arrived at The Sacred Heart Cathedral which was another impressive building. It was built in 1930, but after Morocco gained independence it ceased its religious function as a Catholic church in the 1950s. It’s now a cultural centre open to visitors. I had a quick mooch around to get in from the sun.

I continued my stroll through the Arab League Park and enjoyed some of the street art along the way. The city is quite big to explore on foot and in the heat of the day and with 1.5hrs walking I was getting pretty overheated. Overheated being the polite word for a massive sweaty mess.

After walking through the park, I continued on to the impressive Square Muhammad V. The architecture is really impressive and I sat by the fountain with a drink to give myself, and anyone near me, respite from my sweating.

I then continued on to the Royal Palace, of which I took a photo but got seriously told off by a Moroccan security guard and responded with an eye roll and a curt ‘bad tourist, delete photo’. Of course I did immediately, not fancying Moroccan arrest as a travel tale I wished to acquire.

On to one of the highlights of Casablanca, the Makhama of Pacha. It’s a courthouse but you can visit inside and even I have to say it is beautiful! I had it largely to myself (other than a few pigeons) which was a nice surprise.

Finally, I finished my walk at the Quartier Habous, developed when Morocco was under French rule. A nice spot for a bit of dinner, plus some good value authentic shops and full of nice architecture, it was a great place to stop for the day.

My overall impression of Casablanca was that it was a nice city, but I wouldn’t choose to go back and visit again. I’ve been to a lot of Moroccan cities now and I think Marrakech is by far my favourite. I don’t think there is loads to see and do in Casablanca, and my day of wandering covered off most of the main sites. There were a couple of museums I’d have liked to visit but I couldn’t spare the time.

This year, I feel like I have travelled less than in previous years, but at the time of writing (June), I’ve been to Morocco 3 times, UAE, Sweden, Romania twice, France 3 times, Belgium, Dublin, The Netherlands and Portugal! Coming up I’ve a week in Japan (Hannah is not happy with me), Singapore & Malaysia for 3 weeks and a number of European trips. A job with travel is a blessing, but it sometimes does mean Hannah and I are apart for quite long periods. She never complains (just moans when she can’t come along somewhere she wants to go), and so I was glad to find her waiting for me in Marrakech… stay tuned for those adventures! Stay safe and happy travelling – MTH.

Alas, it was such disgusting weather, it was more like doing my best not to slip in the rain whilst looking like a windswept mess. The villa was still beautiful though, so here’s everything you need to know about it’s history, gardens and how to get there.

How to get to Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild from Nice

What a faff this was. We took the train from Nice Ville station to Beaulieu-sur-mer, a mere 10 minute ride away. Google Maps told us it was then a nice 30 minute stroll round the water to get to the Villa. It was indeed a 30 minute stroll, but not a nice one. The weather was awful and twice we got completely soaked by the waves which were strong in the wind!

In hindsight, I wish we had taken the bus direct (green line 15 leaves from Beaulieu train station direct to the villa regularly and takes only 5 minutes).

Story of the Villa

The villa was built between 1907 and 1912, commissioned by Béatrice de Rothschild. Béatrice was born in Paris, and was the daughter of the famous banker, Alphonse James de Rothschild.

At age 19 Béatrice married Maurice Ephrussi, 15 years her senior and clearly a right wrong ‘un. Béatrice was very eligible, she was beautiful and mega rich, and this fool treated her horrendously. Not only did he lose lots of her money gambling and constantly need bailing out, even worse he gave her syphilis which nearly killed her and rendered her unable to have children, meaning she never became a mother.

Thankfully she divorced him in 1904, just before her father died, meaning she inherited all his wealth and didn’t have to share it with Maurice. Instead she built this house – possibly the biggest ‘f*$% you’ in divorce history! I decided I quite liked her.

Béatrice wanted the house to showcase her art collection, her extensive array of porcelain, and even have special rooms for her pet dogs. The décor was beautifully done inside, and also highlighted an array of antiques and special pieces of furniture Béatrice had collected on her travels.

As well as a plush interior, Béatrice wanted to create extensive gardens reflecting her love of travel. As such, the villa is surrounded by nine gardens, each on a different theme: French, Spanish, Japanese, Florentine, Exotic, Provencal, and a stone and rose garden.

The overall plot is also designed to almost sit like a ship sailing out to the sea, with the gardens narrowing to an end at the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea in the same way a boat’s helm does. This is to mimic her time on a cruise ship which she loved.

Béatrice died in 1934 and left the villa to the Institut de France. It’s now open for visitors to tour the villa and gardens, as well as for lunch in the lovely restaurant.

Important Information

• Villa & Gardens Opening Times: 10am – 6pm daily, 365 days a year (9am – 7pm July and August, 2 – 6pm Nov – Jan).
• Tea Room Opening Times: 12 – 3pm for lunch, 3 – 5.30pm for tea.
• Price: €17 (full adult rate), €12 (children 7 to 18 years old, students <25years old), €48 (family pass for 2 adults and 2 children aged 7-18 years old), Free (children -7years old and disabled visitors).
• Purchasing Tickets: You can buy tickets at the site. If you’re visiting in peak season consider booking online in advance, but please note tickets can’t be collected from the Villa, you must print them off and bring them with you.

So there you have it, what did you think of the Villa and Gardens? We thought it was beautiful, we just could have done without the rain!! Stay safe and happy travelling!