5 Things Not to Miss in Old Town Faro, Portugal

Faro Marina

The historic town of Faro is generally overlooked by tourists. Faro is the capital of the Algarve region with an airport and a working port. If time permits, I would suggest a well-deserved trip to the town of Faro. This town is a stark contrast to the resort towns in Algarve. It would give an insight into southern Portugal's lifestyle. 

Coreto De Faro

Faro Marina: This charming small town is perfect to spend a day. The people are friendly and laid back. It is easier and cheaper to park the car and explore the town on foot. There are numerous shops and restaurants on the beautiful mosaic streets. Take a break and have ice cream or shop for souvenirs.

Arco da Vila

Free Walking Tour: A free walking tour of the old town starts from the park opposite to Arco da Vila twice a day. This tour is a good opportunity to learn about the town from locals. If walking is not for you, there is a segway tour starting from the park. A small trolley goes around the old town stopping at all the major attractions. This would be a good choice for families.

Arco da Vila is a famous landmark in the old town. This is a neo-classical archway leading to old town Farro. The archway opens up to narrow cobblestone roads with the beautiful old buildings. When I think back, I will cherish the fond memories of walking through these cobblestone streets in Faro.

Old Town

Tram - Orange Trees as a Backdrop

Faro Cathedral: A little walk through these cute streets will take you to the old town center. The museum is next to the cathedral and charges a nominal entry fee. The cathedral has undergone multiple renovations after withstanding earthquakes and attacks by English troops. The beautiful interiors compensate for the bland exteriors. The Museum's back garden has beautiful trees and a bone chapel.

Faro Cathedral

Cathedral Museum Yard

Igreja do Carmo / Capela dos Ossos: Igreja do Carmo is a small 18th-century church with golden ornate interiors. What made this church famous is the bone chapel next to it. Capela dos Ossos (bone chapel) is made out of human bones. I was not very keen on photographing this chapel but it has a rich history. As bizarre as they are, bone chapels are quite common in Portugal. It appeared to be a common practice to exhume monk's bodies from the graveyard and build bone chapels during the mid 18th century.

Faro Municipal Market: Enough about bones. Let us talk about the real reason we all travel. Food. Just 700m away from the Bone chapel is the Faro municipal market. I always love a quick to visit the local market. The shops are mainly fresh fish, butchers, fruit and vegetable market, baked goods, and cafes. Grab a bite at the cafe. 
If you have more time, there are many other places to visit.

A Day Trip to Ring of Kerry, Kerry Co., Ireland

Ring of Kerry: The Ring of Kerry is a well-known tourist destination in Ireland. The Ring generally starts and ends at Killarney. Cork is the nearest airport to Killarney. Private tours and tour buses run throughout the year from all major cities. Even though renting a car in Ireland is painful, driving is the best way to see the Ring of Kerry. The tour buses start at Killarney and go around the ring in the counter-clockwise direction. If you are planning on driving, go around the ring in a clockwise direction so that you can avoid spending time behind a tour bus. A quick tour around the Ring is about 200km and would take about a day. But you can easily spend a day in Killarney, a day driving the ring and a day visiting Skellig Michael in summer months.

Torc Waterfalls

Killarney: You can reach Killarney the day before and have a good night's sleep at one of the many hotels. On the day of the trip, pack a good amount of snacks for the road. Killarney National Park and the surrounding areas alone would take a day to visit. Ross Castle is a 15th-century castle on the banks of Killarney lake. A quick tour of the castle and boat tour of Lough Leane is a good addition to the itinerary. Muckross House is a 19th-century mansion with gardens and working farms. A short visit to Muckross House is time well spent. Kerry Mountains are a short distance from Killarney National Park. There are a lot of walking and hiking trails around the mountains. Cronin's Yard is a good place to park the car and hike the beautiful Kerry Mountains. The gap of Dunloe and wishing bridge are magical places to visit.

Ladies View

Ladies View & Molls Gap: If short on time, a shortstop at Torc waterfalls, Ladies View and Molls Gap would suffice. For a day trip around the ring, the best route is to take N71 from Killarney to Kenmare, drive on N70 around the ring till Killorglin and follow N72 from Killorglin to Killarney.

Molls Gap

Ring of Kerry Map

Kenmare & Sneem: Kenmare and Sneem are two cute Irish villages along the ring and are good stops for a quick bite. There are several B&B, golf courses along the way. Keep an eye out for lookout points and beautiful beaches. During summer months, Glenbeg caravan park is very popular with the campers.

Glenbeg Caravan and Camping Park

Scarriff Island Viewpoint

Skellig Ring: Skellig Ring is a link to the Ring of Kerry. At Kenneigh, take a left on to R567 and head towards Ballinskelligs. Ballinskelligs is a small village with beautiful secluded beaches. A short ride from Ballinskelligs takes you to a small village of Keel. With a beautiful beach of St. Finian's Bay and Skelligs Chocolate factory at a walkable distance, Keel is a fantastic choice to spend a few hours.

Ballinskelligs

St.Finian's Bay

Kerry Cliffs: They might not be as popular as Cliffs of Moher but they are still beautiful to visit. 

Kerry Cliffs

Portmagee & Valentia Island: Skellig Ring ends at Pormagee. During summer months, several tour operators run regular tours from Portmagee to Skellig Michael. Valentia Island has rich geological resources and is reachable by the bridge only from Portmagee. A slate quarry, lighthouse, and beautiful views attract visitors to this island.

From Portmagee, follow R565 towards N70-North. If time permits, visit the Bog village museum on your way to Killorglin. At Killorglin, take N72 towards Killarney.

3 Perfect Days in North England and North Wales, UK

The United Kingdom (UK) is a union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The island of Great Britain (GB) has England, Scotland, Wales. It is hard for many people to differentiate between UK and GB. A trip to GB is a good way to immerse oneself in the scenic beauty of England and Wales. The North of England and Wales are famous for their natural beauty. National parks with green rolling hills are prime destinations for camping and hiking. The valley in between hills, lakes and cute little villages are retreats for the tired soul.

Day 1: North Wales - Snowdonia National Park & Llanfairpwllgwyngyll

Swallow Falls Waterfall

Swallow Falls - Snowdonia National Park

Llynnau Mymbyr

Llynnau Mymbyr From A4086 - Snowdonia National Park

 Snowdon ViewPoint

Peak, Lake, and A Valley - Snowdon Viewpoint

Llanfairpwllgwyngyll Village

Day 2: North England - Peak District

Upper Windleden Reservoir

 Winscar Reservoir

 Ladybower Reservoir

 Snake Road

Day 3: North England - Lake District

Lake Windermere

Rydal Water

Grasmere

Surprise View

Ashness Bridge

2 Days in Dublin With Kids (Not Guinness), Dublin Co., Ireland

When one thinks of visiting Dublin, the obvious choice would be to tour Guinness, a bunch of distilleries and pub crawl at the Temple Bar. But if you are traveling with kids, these choices might not be very appealing to all audiences. Dublin has a variety of family-friendly places to visit.

River Liffey: River Liffey flows through Dublin and is the best place to spend an afternoon. There are multiple bike rental places accessible to tourists. Several tours have starting points near River Liffey.  The Famine sculptures and a guided tour of Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship gives an insight into the hardships faced by people during the Irish famine. A cast-iron pedestrian bridge across river Liffey also knows as Ha'penny Bridge, is the oldest bridge in Dublin. It is an easy walk across the bridge to reach the other side of the city. However, Beckett bridge is much cooler in appearance. 

Butler's Chocolate Factory: Click here for the full post. Butler's Chocolate Factory tour was a huge hit with kids. Try to pre-book a tour on a weekday. Chocolate production is down during weekends and hence there won't be much to see on a weekend. Decorating a chocolate elephant was a sweet ending to the tour.

Dublin Zoo: Another kid's favorite. The area is huge and the grounds are well maintained. The habitat is designed specifically to suit the animals. Wild lights display during Christmas is amazing to see.

Merrion Square: Another fun place to visit. Stephan's green is good but Merrion square is awesome. As my kids say, Merrion Square is funky fun. The odd sculptures, swings and play areas are super fun for kids. 

Natural History Museum: Natural History Museum is right across the road from Merrion Square and the entry is free. A mid-size museum with animal and bird exhibits. Groud floor exhibits are predominantly local to Ireland. While the 2nd-floor exhibits are taxidermy exotic wild animals. A very good place for kids to visit.

Trinity College & Book of Kells: Book of Kells is right in the middle of Trinity College. Some find Book of Kells expensive. But strolling through the college grounds is a good way to spend a few hours. 

Howth Village and Cliff Walk: Click here for the detailed post. Howth Village is about an hour from Dublin. A cute village with beautiful views of the Irish Sea.

A Perfect Day in Snowdonia National Park, UK

Snowdonia National Park is by far, the best national parks I have ever visited. The landscape is breathtakingly beautiful. It is a perfect destination for outdoor activities like walking, hiking, camping, and many more. If you are short on time, just drive around the national park and stop to soak in the views. Snowdonia National Park covers around 2135 square kilometers. Given the vast area, it is impossible to cover the entire national park in one day. Here are the few locations that are accessible by road and can be covered in a day. The starting point of this trip is from Liverpool.

Swallow Falls - Snowdonia National Park

Swallow Falls Waterfall: The waterfall is located right across A5 and does not involve strenuous hiking or walking. It is just 2.5 miles from the village of Betws-y-Coed and can be reached by car or on foot. A nominal fee of £2 is charged at the entrance. Make sure to carry cash in Pounds as no other currency is accepted. A paved pathway leads to the beautiful cascading waterfalls surrounded by lush forest. Nearby rock stairs lead to different levels for better views.

Llynnau Mymbyr From A4086 - Snowdonia National Park

 Llynnau Mymbyr: On A4086, 0.5 miles away from A5, lies two beautiful lakes of Llynnau Mymbyr. It is a perfect scenic location. You can park the car and take a short walk or be a bit more adventurous and go parasailing, hiking or kayaking. No matter how you choose to explore, this place is a feast for the eyes. Probably, this is the most photographed lake in all of Snowdonia.

Beautiful Views From A4086 - Snowdonia National Park

Beautiful Views From A4086 - Snowdonia National Park

Peak, Lake, and A Valley - Snowdon Viewpoint

Snowdon Viewpoint: Proceed on A4086 for a couple of miles and continue towards A498. You would come across an undeniably best viewpoint and that would be Snowdon Viewpoint. Snowdon Peak, a valley and a lake, a perfect location for a photoshoot.

Snowdon Peak: There are two options to reach the Snowdon summit. One is to hike the peak and the second is to take a train from Llanberis Station. Be sure not to confuse Llanberis Station with Llanberis Lake Railways. Getting to the summit is still on my to-do list. Unfortunately, we were not able to procure train tickets for the summit. Tickets to the summit can be prebooked. The total trip takes around 2.5 hours. One hour to ascend, one hour to descend and half an hour to explore the summit. For travelers who wish to hike the peak, the Miners' Track and PyG Track start from Pen-y-Pass car park on A4086. Roundtrip on either track takes around 6 hours. However, the Miners' track is popular among hikers and is well known for its beautiful views.

Ceunant Mawr Waterfall: A beautiful waterfall accessible from A4086. The waterfall is very near to Llanberis village. It would take around 10 minutes to reach the waterfalls from the village. There are two paths to reach the waterfall. The marked path takes you to the top of the waterfalls. An unmarked path that passes under the stone bridge leads you to the bottom of beautiful waterfalls.
Pont Pen-y-Llyn: Pont Pen-y-Llyn is a viewpoint very near to Brybrefail village and is accessible from A4086. A beautiful view of lake Llyn Padarn with mountains as a backdrop. Stop by for a quick walk across the bridge. There are several watersports and activities on the lake. 

Llanfairpwllgwyngyll Village:  

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is the name of a village in North Wales. With 58 letters,  this village name is considered the lengthiest one-word name in the world. There is nothing in the village to see or do. James Pringle Weavers have a better sign with English translation. James Pringle's store is full of trinkets and souvenirs.