Ilfracombe

I love me a road trip.  I get horrible motion sickness but I don't care, I still like to go.  As a backpacker it can sometimes be really difficult to truly get off the beaten path.  Some thing just can't be seen via a bus, you need your own set of wheels.  

So one morning we took off and went headed to Ilfracombe.  This was to be my first trip to Devon and Sommerset. Before we left we made a Tesco's run and picked up our usual road trip fair, water, crisps and brioche.  Might be a bit odd for a road trip, but it makes us happy.

Our first pit stop was Bristol, where my husband had attended university.  We checked out the harbor as it had been redone since Mr Grumpy had last been there.  We also got some super cute cupcakes!

                    

Suddenly, as I was singing the wrong words very loudly to some song or another, Mr Grumpy asked if I would like to go to Cheddar Gorge.  I didn't know what it was, but I was game.  Cheddar Gorge turned out to be a beautiful drive thru what must have been almost mountains.  We also checked out the touristy bit of town, tasted some cheese, cheddar of course, and bought the biggest thing of cider ever. 

When we made it to Ilfracombe we checked out our hotel, it had seen better days but was fine for  a night or two. Ilfracombe was pretty dead, but we managed to find a couple of good pubs and spend the evening trying different types of cider. 

                                                                                                       

The next day we drove around a few of the other nearby towns, but most of them were shut up and we soon ended up back in Ilforcombe.  We really lucked out that night and were able to join in a pub quiz.  We came in fourth!  Well, it was out of 4 teams.  But in my defense the questions were extreemly Britcentric and I wasn't much help.

The next day we left early, but made a pit stop at the Thatchers brewery shop.  We bought even more cider.  We seem to collect alchol much more quickly than we consume it. 

When we got home we were tired, but it had been a great trip!

Ay Caramba!, Barcelona

This summer Mr Grumpy and I took a trip to Barcelona to celebrate his birthday.  We have very different views when it comes to travel.  I like to run around and visit every museum in existence, and Mr Grumpy likes to sit around in pretty squares eating and drinking.  Luckily for Mr Grumpy, this was my 4^th visit to Barcelona so I’ve done it all, and it was his birthday, so we did only what he wanted to do.

Now, I’m a backpacker.   If you want to read about my 20 months around the world go here.  Now that I’m older and not saving for a big trip the little trips can be a bit more extravagant, plus, I wanted Mr Grumpy to have a really good time. Its really amazing to stay in a nice hotel and eat fancy food without breaking the budget.  However, I will always miss the feeling of freedom that long term travel gives you.

Our first stop was Bar Mut.  This place was awesome.  Seriously folks, if you’re a backpacker with a tiny budget this is where to splurge.   I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing that I hadn’t heard of Bar Mut until this trip.  When in Barcelona order tapas, lots of tapas.  We had potatoes, hammon, tomatoy bread, olives and the best thing ever.  I don’t really know what it was called.  The dish consisted of shredded potato, ship and warm egg yolk.  It was incredible.  I will go back to Barcelona for a 5^th time just to eat at Bar Mut again.

  

We also spend some time in a market off of Las Ramblas.  You gotta appreciate all the fruit and the ham and just all the loveliness.

Mr Grumpys one and only requested tourist attraction was the Barcelona FC stadium.  We spent quite a bit of time looking at old pictures, trophies and exploring the different levels of the stadium and the locker room.  I would have never thought of a stadium as a tourist destination, but it was better and more interesting than I had though originally.  Mr Grumpy really enjoyed it.

Right before we left for the plane I found a shop selling hammon, not just any kind, the type that comes from pigs fed on acorns.  I’ve wanted to try this for ages.  It was amazing, but a bit weird to eat ham out of a paper tube.

Now this is not a good guide to Barcelona at all.  If you’re going for the first time check out Sagrada Familia, the Medieval Museum, Mont Juic, the Catalan Museum and Gaudi Parks.  There’s loads more, but that would keep you good and busy for a few days.  I thought I should include some pictures from one of my trips a few years ago.  The first is overlooking the city, the secound a part of the Bari Gotic area, , and the last is some crazy street performer on Las Ramblas.

What’s your favourite tapa’s place?

Happy travels!