Puerta Natales, time to experience Patagonia & Torres del Paine.

Towards the end of December 2017 we flew to Chile for two weeks.  After a lovely family Christmas in Santiago we headed south to Patagonia. After landing in Punta Arenas we took a taxi into the city centre to catch a bus to Puerto Natales. What we didn't know at the time as that we could have caught the bus from that airport, still you live and learn. The bus trip on Buses Fernandez took around 3 hours another example of the sheer size of Chile. Both of us were full of excitement as this was pair first trip to Patagonia so the time flew by. On arrival we grabbed a taxi for the short ride to our home for the next couple of days, Hotel If.

Hotel If/ Restaurant Santolla

Situated just a short walk from the centre Hotel If offers basic accommodation, it did the job for us however in all honesty could do with a bit of work to make it feel more comfortable. The big plus is it is next door to Santolla, a fantastic restaurant built in a series of freight containers as you can see above. Owned and run by the family behind Hotel If the atmosphere is fun, the service comes with a smile and the food especially the King Crab is absolutely delicious, a 5 star recommendation.

Exploring the Ultima Esperanza

On our first full day we joined a cruise on the Ultima Esperanza (Channel of Last Hope) booked with a tour company called 21 de Mayo to see the Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers. Bearing in mind we were visiting the region in high season the boat was busy however not to the extend that you could't move around. One thing I forgot to mention at the start of this post is come prepared for all seasons when you visit Patagonia as you can experience a mix of weather in one day and when the wind blows its cold....very cold. We had a great time on this well organised cruise, the scenery is spectacular so wrap up warm and enjoy.

Some friendly locals

Balmaceda Glacier 

Serrano Glacier

Whilst you have to view the Balmaceda Glacier from the ship you get a closer view of the Serrano Glacier, the ship docks and you then have a short walk around 1km to the foot of the glacier.

Salud!

After leading the Serrano Glacier we were treated to a glass of whiskey with ice (supposedly) from the glacier before heading to a nearby ranch for a delicious BBQ lunch.

Lunch stop at the Estancia Perales

Our main reason for visiting Patagonia was to visit the world famous Torres del Paine National Park hoping to see the iconic views of the Torres (Towers). We joined our group for the day full of excitement for what lay ahead. One thing to check if you book a day tour in the park is what are the plans for lunch? You may need to book a table at one of the Lodges so especially in high season it's a good idea to check.

Hidden in the clouds - Torres del Paine

So unfortunately as you can see we chose a cloudy day, luck wasn't with is however we did catch some glimpses of the Torres (Towers) and Cuernos (Horns) just not quite the clear view with blue skies that we hoped for. They are spectacular and have to be seen to really appreciate their sheer size and dominance over the surroundings.

After lunch we drove on to view the Grey Lake and stunning Grey Glacier. This involved a walk of perhaps 2km of which part is very exposed and incredibly windy so wrap up warm and hold onto each other.

Grey Lake & Glacier in the background, see below

Our final stop for the day was the Cueva del Milodon. It comprises a number of caves and a rock formation know as Silla del Diablo (Seat of the Devil) and was the location where a German explorer called Herman Eberhart found the skin of an unidentified animal which was later identified as a Mylodon an extinct animal which died over 10,000 years ago. After the impressive Torres del Paine and the Grey Lake it was if I'm honest a bit underwhelming in comparison.

We had a wonderful time in Puerto Natales exploring the region and the town itself. The town itself is relatively small with a population of around 19,000. There are lots of bars and restaurants, we had lovely meals at Santolla and Afragonia as well as El Bote. If you're looking for somewhere to have a drink and a bite to eat rather than a full meal try Hostel Wild. If you fancy some shopping and want to take home some souvenirs talk a walk to the Pueblo Artesanal just outside the town centre, it's packed full of colourful hand craft. Next stop back to Punta Arenas for a couple of days and to celebrate New Year, time too to visit some penguins. 

Oxford September 2017

In September 2017 we visited the historic city of Oxford to celebrate Susy's birthday. We stayed overnight at the White Hart Inn in the sleepy village of Dorchester-on-Thames just outside Oxford. First impressions of Oxford were slightly tainted by how hard it was to find a car park in the centre and the cost!! Oxford is a big drawer for tourists and it appears that the owners of the city centre car parks are making the most of that, so if you can, take advantage of the Park and Ride facilities outside the centre.

Welcome to Christ Church

We only had a day to explore the city so after stopping off for some refreshments after our arrival and taking in a few shops and the lovely covered market we made our way to the impressive Christ Church College. To fans of the TV detective series based around the novels of Colin Dexter and his main character Endeavour Morse, many of these scenes will be familiar.

Oxford and Cambridge are two of England's most famous universities and both are really worth visiting. If I had to chose one of the two to visit I'd probably go for Oxford purely on the basis of the stunning architecture and the sense of history and achievement that you experience when wandering round the colleges and the city centre, it edges Cambridge but only just.

Radcliffe Camera 

Bodleian Library

Bridge of Sighs

The King's Arms

We came by chance upon The King's Arms (see above) around lunchtime and took advantage of the opportunity to savour lunch surrounded yes by fellow visitors but also students from the colleges. When you listen to the conversation going on around you, you begin to understand the level of intellect that the University of Oxford attracts.

Blenheim Palace

The following morning after a hearty breakfast we made tracks for Blenheim Palace a short drive from where we were staying. Home to the 12th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough the palace boasts over 300 years of history to learn about and is a World Heritage Site. It's also the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and you can visit an exhibition about this pillar of British history in the main house. It is a truly impressive and beautiful place which if you get the chance you should take the opportunity and pay it a visit. We were blown away by the experience, between the house and ground you can more than fill a whole day here so try and allow plenty of time.

The Temple of Diana

Hopefully you enjoyed seeing some of what the City of Oxford and beautiful Blenheim has to offer, we certainly did.

Ireland, West Cork, summer 2017

In July 2017 some good friends were getting married in Ireland so we decided to make a weeks holiday of it. So the three of us, Pina our dog came too travelled across from Holyhead to Dublin by ferry. We broke the journey to Holyhead staying the previous night in a B&B in the lovely Welsh town of Betys y Coed in the stunning Snowdonia National Park. At time of writing we seem to have 'lost' a lot of our photos from this trip so all you see were taken on an iPhone which is why some aren't as good as we'd like them to be.

After a couple of days in Dublin we drive down to Durrus to our home for the next few nights at Carbery Cottage Guest Lodge. Carbery Cottage is an award winning, dog friendly B&B, situated on the Sheepshead peninsula. It is a wonderful place, Julia and Mike who own and run it are incredibly welcoming and are full of great advice about what to do and see. Their breakfasts are delicious and filling with all the produce sourced locally. Best of all dogs are made very welcome.

View from our bedroom's terrace.

Pina making herself at home

Welcome tea and yummy brownies

Delicious!

Looking for somewhere to eat on our first evening Julia recommended Arundels at the village of Akahista, less than a 10 minutes drive from Carberry Lodge. The food was good and this pub/restaurant was busy and seemed to be the place to go in the area. For those of you who have heard of Graham Norton, the Cork born BBC1 chat show host, Akahista is where he spends his summers in a beautiful house next to the Akahista Bar (see below).

The beauty of West Cork is that there is so much to do and see which is why this is the third time we've visited this neck of the woods on holiday. One of the highlights of the trip was our drive round the Beara peninsula. It offers some spectacular views especially the stretch between Allihies and Eyeries as well as the narrow winding Healey Pass. At the start of the peninsula you'll enter the town of Glengarriff, do stop here and take the ferry across to Garnish Island. This small island was turned into an exotic garden in 1910 for Annan Bryce a Belfast businessman. Framed by views of Bantry Bay the island contains a collection of flora from around the world. If you're lucky you'll spot some seals from the ferry as you journey to and fro. if you're peckish when you get back from the island, give the Park Bistro a go, you'll find it on the main street.

Italian Garden on Ganrish Island.

View from the Healey Pass

Another trip well worth doing is out to Mizen Head, the most south-westerly tip of Ireland. The Mizen Head visitor's centre and lighthouse are the main attraction. If you haven't got a head for heights there is an alternative route to the light house to the bridge below. One word of warning, the road to Mizen is narrow so watch out for cars coming in the other direction driving quicker than they should.

Views from Mizen Head

On the way out to Mizen Head you'll see signs for Crookhaven a pretty sailing harbour, highly recommend a stop here for lunch and a bite to eat, some great seafood if you like it at O'Sullivans.

View from Crookhaven

As I mentioned at the start of this blogpost, Carbery Cottage where we stayed is located on the Sheepshead peninsula, it's well worth a drive to the end of the peninsula to walk as far as the lighthouse for yet more stunning views. The only downside for us that dog's aren't allowed on the walk so Pina had to wait in the car, still can't fathom out why.

Sheepshead lighthouse in the background 

If you enjoyed this post about West Cork and are interested in reading more about the area click here and here.

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