Things to do in Kirkby Lonsdale: a beautiful market town in Cumbria

Things to do in Kirkby Lonsdale | PACK THE SUITCASES

Here are some lovely things to do in Kirkby Lonsdale, a beautiful market town in Cumbria, UK. If you like cute cobbled streets, quirky independent shops, and consuming your own body weight in food/beer, you’re going to love Kirkby Lonsdale. Set on the banks of the River Lune amid verdant countryside and rolling hills, this quaint town is almost unbelievably picture-perfect. But it’s not just a pretty face. It’s a real bustling little community, with loads going on. Every time I visit, there’s something new to take in, whether that’s a new café where I ‘need’ to sample several cakes or finding a new walking route nearby that I’d never done before. 

Kirkby Lonsdale is perfect for a tranquil weekend away. But you can easily do a longer trip there if you pack your hiking boots and use the town as a base for exploring the stunning surrounding countryside, not to mention visiting all the nearby towns and villages to get to know them too. And the best thing about Kirkby Lonsdale is that it’s relatively unspoilt and much less touristy than neighbouring areas in the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District.

Kirkby Lonsdale was my childhood holiday place. I have the best memories of holidays there when I was growing up and luckily it’s just as lovely going back as an adult, which is why I can never stay away for too long.

Here are my personal recommendations for things to do in Kirkby Lonsdale…

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Porto itinerary: 3 days in Portugal’s stunning second city

3 days in Porto itinerary, Portugal | PACK THE SUITCASES

Here’s a quick Porto itinerary for 3 days in Porto: Portugal’s second-largest city and an absolute underrated gem. Porto is a stunning city and its riverbanks are overflowing with independent shops and hip bars and restaurants. You’re never too far from a sneaky peek of the dazzling Douro River from any of the bunting-strewn streets that lead down to the water. And Porto is near the sea, so you can get a historic tram down to one of the city beaches and enjoy views of the Atlantic. 

Despite all of Porto’s charms, it’s still one of the most affordable city breaks I’ve done in Southern Europe. And I’ve done a lot. I really rate it. It’s so good, to be honest, that I’d recommend spending a bit more than 3 days in Porto if you really want to get to know it. But if you’re on a time limit, it’s a nicely compact destination and there’s plenty you can cram into a weekend or a short break there.

So settle down with a glass of port wine (obviously) and get planning your 3-day Porto itinerary…

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Lovely things to do in Lübeck, Germany: a city guide

Things to do in Lübeck, Germany | PACK THE SUITCASES

Considering it’s only a small city, there are loads of things to do in Lübeck. In fact, it’s one of Germany’s best-kept secrets in my opinion. Lübeck has a charming old town full of pretty architecture, punctuated by lots of church spires, with the Trave river running alongside it. Lübeck is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which isn’t a surprise when you see how lovely its historic old town is. There are beautiful cobbled courtyards lined with flowers to explore, not to mention some excellent places to eat and drink. I visited as a day trip from big, bustling Hamburg. Lübeck was just the breath of fresh air you need on a city break.

Lübeck was the capital of the Hanseatic League, which you may have heard of, especially if you’ve been to Germany before. It was a very powerful merchant guild, which started in the 1100s and controlled the maritime trade region from the Baltics to the North Sea for over 300 years. So Lübeck was a really big deal being in the midst of all that.

Lübeck was also known as the ‘City of the seven spires’, obviously due to its amount of churches. And now it’s mainly known for its marzipan, which is one of my most hated substances on earth. But it’s such a gorgeous place that even the slight stench of marzipan didn’t put me off.

With all that in mind, here are the things to do in Lübeck that I really enjoyed and would recommend…

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Differences between the USA and Europe that you’ll spot as a first-time traveller to the USA

We all know there are some big differences between the USA and Europe. But when I visited the USA for the first time as a traveller from the UK, I experienced some really funny culture shocks and little details that no one had mentioned before, such as finding what big gaps there are under toilet doors in the US.

I thought it would be nice to put these differences together into this huge post for my blog readers to enjoy. It lists all the interesting, surprising and weird things about the USA that I found on my first ever trip there, plus of course a handful of more serious ones. I hope you find it entertaining and perhaps it’ll be useful for anyone planning their first-ever trip to the USA from anywhere in the UK or wider Europe.

So settle down with a cup of tea (brewed with an electric kettle) and have a read of some differences between the USA and Europe that you’ll spot as a traveller to the USA for the first time…

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The best bars in Funchal and Madeira: from poncha to craft beer

The best bars in Madeira and Funchal | PACK THE SUITCASES

Here’s my pick of the best bars in Madeira, mainly focusing on the bars in Funchal that I know really well and always recommend. The island is full of places serving the Madeiran national drink poncha but there’s also an emerging craft beer scene (craft beer as in the hoppy hipster kind). And while Madeira isn’t the go-to place for crazy nightlife, there’s still somewhere to drink around every corner.

Poncha is a delicious and rather strong alcoholic drink from Madeira, made with boozy sugar cane rum, honey, sugar, orange/lemon juice and other fruit juices. The traditional lemon one is my favourite because I’m all about that sour life. But if you’re not so sour, you might like the maracuja (passion fruit) or tangerine variants. Legend has it that if you drink three poncha, you’ll be able to speak fluent Portuguese. I can confirm this is very much not true. You’ll barely be able to speak. 

Madeira’s growing craft beer scene should also be on the agenda. I’ve found some brilliant bars serving local hoppy IPAs from Portugal. This type of beer seems to be catching on in a bid to escape the generic Coral lager everywhere (Portugal’s Heineken).

If this all sounds up your street, you’ll like this list of the best bars in Funchal and other places to get your boozing on in Madeira…

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Pack The Suitcases’ (pathetic) 2020 travel roundup

Travel roundup 2020 | PACK THE SUITCASES

Happy new year! Despite what 2020 has thrown at us all, I’m sticking with my yearly tradition of doing a travel roundup of everywhere I went in the last year. Yes, I appreciate the irony in trying to write anything about travel in 2020, a year when we hardly left our homes. But I’m going to give it a go anyway.

In these yearly roundups, I try to sum up the ‘best of’ and ‘worst of’ for all my previous year’s travel. They serve as a kind of personal reminder and are more for me than anything else. But I’ve got myself into doing them as a tradition now. Maybe they’re mildly useful for anyone wanting to know where I recommend. Or don’t recommend. As you’ve probably deduced, there’s very little in this 2020-based one. But I’ve shared some of my thoughts on the little travel I managed this year and also some musings on the state of travel blogging and how it’s been affected by the pandemic.

So, pour the dregs of your New Year’s Eve bubbly and have a read about my pathetic ‘travels’ in 2020: the least travelly year of my adult life. Let me know in the comments how you’ve survived 2020 and what travel plans you’re hoping to do in 2021.

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