Category: Travel

A short stay in Manchester and Liverpool

We recently travelled to England’s North West and spent 3 days exploring places to eat, shop and visit in Manchester and Liverpool. Following the format of our City Guides, here’s a mini guide featuring some of our favourite spots in both cities.

Manchester

We stayed in Manchester’s city centre and found it quite easy to get around the city on foot. Everything is within walking distance in the city centre but you can also take the Metroshuttle, a free bus service between the main rail stations, and there are trams going from the centre to the rest of neighbourhoods. Compared to Liverpool, there aren’t many attractions or landmarks to see but the city’s architecture mix is really unique and the city’s musical heritage is present everywhere in Manchester, making it really interesting to walk around its streets discovering places that were an essential part of British music history – a genuinely inspirational adventure that had us pondering about guitar lessons near me and where we live, even though we’re sure a poorly plucked rendition of any Primal Scream track would incite anger from everyone.

EAT

There are lots of really good places to eat and have a good coffee in Manchester, and you can find most of them around the Northern Quarter – the city’s most creative and vibrant neighbourhood. For lunch, try Soup Kitchen, a canteen/bar/club serving seasonal fresh food and specialising in Caribbean dishes, all in a very relaxed atmosphere. For dinner head to Ply, just around the corner from Soup Kitchen, a bar located in a cool and big space with art on its walls, serving a great variety of craft beer and pizzas cooked in just 90 seconds in their wood-fired oven.

Soup Kitchen

If you want to get some coffee or a drink and grab a small bite try Common, a recently refurbished café and bar which is considered an institution in the Northern Quarter. You should also pay a visit to North Tea Power, a café specialising in tea but also serving delicious coffee, soups, grilled cheese sandwiches, salads and pastries in a very cosy space.

North Tea Power

SHOP

Apart from the typical high street chains and big brands, Manchester is home to numerous independent shops. For clothes, make sure you pay a visit to Oi Polloi, a menswear store stocking a great range of brands the likes of A.P.C, Margaret Howell and Our Legacy. Also in the Northern Quarter, Magma sells independent magazines, art books and a nice selection of prints and gifts.

Magma

Liverpool

Liverpool is just 45 minutes from Manchester by train so it’s really easy to travel between both cities. As we mentioned before, Liverpool probably has more attractions and landmarks but it is also much smaller than Manchester, so you can easily explore most of the city centre in one day.

EAT

Start your day at 92 Degrees, a micro roastery and coffee shop serving espresso and pour over, as well as cakes and pastries from local suppliers and bagels and sandwiches made on site. In the same neighbourhood and really close to 92 Degrees you will find The Quarter, and Italian-inspired restaurant and deli. The relaxed atmosphere and interiors make it perfect for lunch or dinner, or just to grab a quick bite – there are also some tables outside where you can enjoy food and drinks under the sun during the spring and summer months.

92 Degrees

A little far way, close to Liverpool one – the city’s open air leisure and shopping complex – you can find The Cow & Co Café, a small coffee shop serving good food and coffee, and stocking a nice selection of independent magazines and books. The owners of the café also run an online shop with the same name dedicated to design homeware.

The Cow & Co Café

VISIT

Located in Albert Docks, next to the rest of the big museums in the city, Tate Liverpool exhibits works from the museum’s own collection that change from time to time, as well as exhibitions with a focus on a single artist or theme. Really close to Tate Liverpool, you can find Open Eye Gallery, a beautiful space dedicated to photography that also has a small shop selling artists’ books, film, paper and other photographic supplies.

Open Eye Gallery

Just off Bold Street – one of the city’s most lively streets – stands FACT, a new media arts centre composed of a cinema, gallery, workshop space and café. The exhibitions offer is really interesting and different, focusing on the interactions between art and technology.

FACT

You shouldn’t leave Liverpool without paying a visit to the Metropolitan Cathedral, this impressive work of architecture was designed by Frederick Gibberd and built in the 1960s, and it’s completely different to the the concept of a traditional church in the UK. Apart from observing the imposing exterior, we recommend going inside to see the central altar and stained glass.

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

February 25, 2016
Making The Most Of A Weekend Break In London

Heading to London for a weekend break? Here are just a few activities for helping you to make the most of your visit of the UK’s capital.

See the sights with a guided tour

Guided tours are some of the best ways to see the city sights – they’ll take you on the best route and you’ll get to learn plenty of facts that you might not gain travelling alone. There are all kinds of tours available including walking tours, bus tours and boat tours. Some of the walking tours are free but tend to cover a smaller area. Bus tours meanwhile can take you all around London whilst boat tours can let you see all the sights along the Thames. It’s worth looking out for themed tours such as ghost tours and Jack the Ripper tours (both of these tours can be taken at night adding to the spookiness!).

Visit the museums

London has many historic and grand museums including the Natural History Museum, The British Museum and The Science Museum, as well as a number of art galleries. The great thing about these museums is that many of them are completely free to enter making them a great attraction if you’re visiting London on a tight budget.

Image Source. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Attend a West End show

The West End is one of the most renowned theatre districts in the world. Here you can catch all kinds of theatre productions from Shakespeare plays to musicals featuring star-studded casts. You can buy London theatre tickets online – for the best chances of getting a seat, you should book early. That said, it is possible to get last minute tickets.

Get a drink at the top of the Shard

The Shard is currently the tallest building in Europe and it offers some of the best views of London you’ll experience. You can grab a drink at the top and take in the sights. The Shard even hosts silent discos at night that could be worth looking into. Be wary that ticket prices and drink prices are sky-high – you may want to save your pennies for this experience.

Eat street food at the Borough Market

Borough Market is a great place to grab a bite to eat – here you’ll find many stalls offering quality food. The market has been featured in many movies and it offers a truly authentic London feel. And whilst the prices aren’t cheap, it’s a lot cheaper than eating out in a restaurant.

February 25, 2016
Berlin Instants

We spent last week in Berlin working on a new City Guide. We’ve been in the city a few times and there are so many things to see that it’s hard to make a selection, but we hope our new guide inspires you to travel to Berlin and pay a visit to some of these places. While we finish our guide, here are some images we shared on our Instagram profile during our stay.

Voo Store in Kreuzberg

Aunt Benny café in Friedrichshain

Anton Corbijn exhibition at C/O

Salumeria Lamuri restaurant in Kreuzberg

Beata Wilczek and Lukasz Wierzbowski exhibition opening at No Wodka in Prenzlauer Berg

Silo Coffee in Friedrichshain

Walther König bookstore in Mitte

The Barn café in Mitte

KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Mitte

Shakespeare & Sons bookstore and café in Friedrichshain

Snow in Neukölln

January 25, 2016
Madrid Instants

Last week we travelled to Madrid to work on a new City Guide. We loved the city and can’t wait to show you all the places we visited. Until then, here’s a small preview taken from our Instagram profile.

The views from the rooftop of El Círculo de Bellas Artes

Cacto Cacto, a shop selling only cacti and succulent plants

Toma Café, a cool coffee shop in the Malasaña neighbourhood

Kyle Hughes-Odgers exhibition at Swinton and Grant gallery

Federal Café in the hip neighbourhood of Conde Duque

Illustration museum Museo ABC

Pinar, a really nice menswear shop in the Barrio de las Letras neighbourhood

El Retiro park

November 24, 2015
Where to Stay in Dublin

Image source

Lots of families, couples, and friends enjoy a weekend break now and again in order to spend some quality time together and get away from the stresses of everyday life. Most choose to stay close to the UK because going further afield can be too much of a hassle for a mere weekend. But where should you go?

Dublin is proving to be a popular choice because of its beautiful surroundings and wealth of tourist attractions. The city features an array of stunning landscapes. Via visiting Dublin you will get to witness tranquil and unspoilt countryside, which truly gives you the basis to relax and rejuvenate. Moreover, there is a whole host of things to do, such as seeing a music event at the arena, heading to the theatre, and, of course, enjoying a weekend at the races. There are a lot of racecourses close to Dublin, like Punchestown and Leopardstown. They all provide a great place to enjoy a day out, whether you are a big racing fan or not.

As well as planning what you are going to do in the popular city, you will also need to consider the different hotels in Dublin so that you can find somewhere to stay for your vacation. There are several things that you need to consider in order to ensure that you find the best hotel.

First and foremost, you need to determine a budget. After all, there is a whole host of hotels in Dublin, and thus they differ in price from place to place. By determining a budget range you can narrow down your search effectively. Nevertheless, it is important to be mindful of going for the cheapest option. If you are going for a weekend break then you want to stay somewhere nice which will enhance your experience. A budget hotel is likely to offer you the bare minimum and you won’t enjoy your experience anywhere as much.

In addition to this, you also need a hotel that enhances your stay and provides you with the best of what Dublin has to offer. As mentioned, Dublin boasts some fantastic countryside and thus it is worth staying in a hotel which is situated with beautiful views. Some of the best hotels in Dublin take advantage of this with the likes of luxury golf courses.

A lot of people prefer to go for a cheaper hotel that is in a better location and gives them the ability to keep some money spare so they can make the most of everything Dublin has to offer in terms of entertainment. A budget hotel nearby near 3 Arena would be a good choice. There are always lots of great events going on here. You can expect all of the world’s most famous musicians.

You also need to decide what board you want, such as; all inclusive, self catering, half board, bed and breakfast and alike. Most people tend to opt for bed and breakfast or half board. This is because it provides them with a good breakfast when they wake up, yet they still have license to explore and try different cafes and restaurants around Dublin during either lunch or dinner.

Continuing on the theme of food, make sure that the hotel boasts an impressive restaurant. Some of the most luxurious hotels will boast award winning restaurants, and these really enhance your stay. After all, there is nothing better than indulging in some lavish food whilst enjoying a weekend’s break.

It is also a good idea to take the time to read reviews that have been left by people that have stayed in the hotels you are considering before. This will give you the chance to see what they have had to say about their experience, including whether they enjoyed their time there and any handy tips or things to be mindful of. Make sure you use independent review platforms so you can be sure the comments are genuine. This is a must.

All in all, Dublin offers a fantastic place to stay for those seeking a weekend’s vacation. In order to find the best hotels in Dublin you should contemplate budget, board basis, quality of food and surroundings.

September 5, 2015