Hungry for Hungary. Budapest, the historic capital of Hungary. Formed by the 1873 merging of Buda, Óbuda and Pest. History lesson over kids. In April, we flew to Hungary. Our first foreign trip in three years. We were hungry for a bit of Hungary. Kid-free time; a relationship saviour. It was Easter time. They'd be fine, stuffing their little faces with chocolate, at the in-laws. City breaks were once a regular occurrence, before kids and COVID. An overdue stamp in the passport. Budapest; full of history, culture and admirable resistance to the Euro currency. Even singer George Ezra wrote about it's splendour. Read on, for my Budapest adventures. The Mystery Hotel (Budapest) Spa day! Accommodation, the holy grail of city breaks. Unkept bed linen, can make or break a trip.  We spent two nights in the quirky  Mystery Hotel . A nice find from the wifey, during her Trip Advisor research project. This 82-bed, luxury hotel, was close to central Budapest. It boasted plenty of cha...

Get your Welsh flag flying. Earlier this month we ventured to north and mid-Wales. Staycations have become our post-pandemic norm. We'll venture to foreign climates soon. For now I'm enjoying Britain, and appreciating what's on offer. Not my first time in Wales actually. Years ago I visited Cardiff, but that was south Wales. I'd never done Wales properly, until now.  Turns out north Wales is pretty. James Bond grew-up in north Wales. Well, the guy who played him, Timothy Dalton. You certainly need a car in Wales. Unless sheep are a viable mode of transport? Public transport looked to be non-existent (from what I could see). Everything is spread out, so be prepared to travel. Let me take you on a journey of Welsh culture. Conwy Castle Now this is a Castle! If you visit Conwy, you must see Conwy Castle . It's a pleasant world heritage site. Like me, the famous fortress is well preserved. It was commissioned by 'King Edward I', some 700 years ago (they tell me)...

Pick a perfect pumpkin. Happy Halloween! I don't hate Halloween, I just don't do Halloween. Does anyone feel like me?  I'm a Halloween sceptic, as I'll go into it later. Perhaps it's my Christian values? Halloween is a celebration of death, not costumes and candy. It also has these weird Celtic and Pagan origins, making it more absurd. Centuries ago, immigrants took it to America. It was a non-event in the UK, until fairly recently. Western culture soon commercialised it. And "trick-or-treat", still lives strong. Many kids in Halloween attire, will keep up the tradition tonight, by hassling adults for sweets. You can't draw a "carol singing" comparison. Carol singing is festive charity work, and they don't egg your porch; unless you piss them off! So today, I blog about general Halloween stuff. The Pumpkin Picking Parents This may surprise you. The fields are alive, with the sound of pumpkins. On Wednesday, we went pumpkin picking. We to...

Cornwall rocks! A little review, from our Cornish "staycation". Everyone is doing the "staycation" thing in 2021. In troubled times, I was happy to support British tourism.  Cornwall seemed the obvious and predictable choice. The fall-back option for disappointed "package holiday" lovers. Spare a thought for the Cornish locals, stuck serving pasties to twats, who'd rather be in the Mediterranean. Seriously, who'd go abroad? It sounds like hellish effort. This is the year for domestic pleasures. British holidays don't come cheap. But for this year, I took the hit. The Eden Project Inside the Eden Project. So the first trip, was the  Eden Project . Basically, it's 'Gardener's World' meets the 'Crystal Maze'. Two large domes filled with various plant species.  I saw a banana plant, which you won't see often. It's a surreal experience, as you wander around the place. The domes are kept warm to preserve the plants, it...

Demotivated dad! I seem to be stuck in slumps-ville. Slumps are destructive little buggers. They creep up on you, and before you know it, you aren't attacking life with the same zest. I blame my recent injury for this decline. A number of weeks back, I cracked my right rib, getting out the bath, dumbass. It was clumsy and stupid.  Weeks of soreness followed, on prescription painkillers. Exercise took a back seat, as I recovered. Ribs take around 6-8 weeks to heel, so I'm waiting it out. I feel like a wounded animal. A dad losing his edge. Fitness and health levels have declined. Never underestimate the importance of a healthy life.  Low motivation becomes a cancer. It can damage all parts of life. Now it's time to snap out and stop feeling sorry for myself.   Passions like music, reading, learning, blogging and fitness are taking a backseat. It's time to reset, recalibrate and get things going! Calibrating Body and Mind Slumps normally have a trigger. Low motivation ...

Daddy, Glampion Of The World. So last weekend, we went glamping. What is glamping? Ah, let me explain. Glamping is the posh version of camping. Basically, camping for tarts. Designed for those who need home comforts. Last weekend we got away. Granted, it wasn't far, or even out of Essex. 'Lee Wick Farm' was the destination, a small farm outside the area of Clacton. Apparently it's one of the UK's top 20 glamp sites. We booked it months ago, and for a while, I doubted it would happen. Then the lockdowns were eased, and Jurassic Park, we were on! Read on, for my glamping experience. What Is Glamping? Glamping means 'glamourous camping'. Unlike a tent, you typically sleep in a cabin (see picture). Facilities vary, but toilets, running water and cooking equipment are common. Glamp David. We had a small microwave, which was useful. Although proudly, I managed to cook dinner on a BBQ. The site provide BBQ starter kits, for around £10.00 ($15.00). The term 'gla...

I won't be needing this! I didn't get a summer break last year. The Algarve in Portugal was booked, but plans were soon obliterated by Coronavirus. I felt cheated, because I was deserving of a break and it was cruelly snatched. In the UK, foreign trips are illegal (at present). That's correct, you can be jailed for taking a package holiday. Imagine it,  "Sir, I am arresting you on suspicion of sunning yourself in Spain, you do not have to say anything but,..........nice tan".  I get it, I understand it, I just don't like it! Realistically, foreign travel won't return for a while. Summer breaks are important, because people need something to look forward to. It has been a tedious year of lockdowns and chaos. If you stayed sane and didn't lose your mind, you did well. Faced with fewer options, what is the answer? Staycation obviously! Deciding Where To Go My wife is meticulous when it comes to researching summer breaks. She'll scour the review sites ...