Our travel adventures as husband and wife

We're off to New York in just over three weeks! We haven't had more than a couple of days off work since our last big holiday in May, so we're very excited about our pre-Christmas getaway.

We travelled to New York together for the first time in February 2013. It was one of our first holidays together as a couple and, in some ways, it feels as if it happened a whole lifetime ago. This got me thinking about all the places we've travelled to together since then... cue blogging inspiration alert.

I decided to focus on the holidays we've been on since we got married in August 2014. We didn't get photos of the two of us on every occasion, but I'm quite impressed that we managed as many as we did considering we don't particularly like having our photos taken.

Please excuse the inconsistent photo sizes... we've both had lots of different cameras and phones over the last four years! 



Rome, September 2014

We went to Rome for the first leg of our honeymoon. Rome is an amazing place and we loved the four days we spent there, apart from the stress of trying to cross their hectic roads.

Lake Garda, September 2014

The second leg of our honeymoon was spent in beautiful Malcesine. A completely different pace to Rome with breathtaking beauty at every turn.

Venice, September 2014

The last leg of our honeymoon was spent in Venice. More beautiful views, architecture and food... it's safe to say that we were well and truly in love with Italy by the time we left.

Disneyland Paris, December 2014

We went to Disneyland Paris for the first time in December 2014. We couldn't afford to go to Walt Disney World in 2014 due to our wedding and honeymoon but we still wanted our Disney fix. Disney + Christmas = perfection!

Amalfi, April 2015

We decided we wanted to see a different part of Italy in 2015, so we went to Amalfi on the Amalfi Coast.  Definitely one of the most beautiful coastlines I've ever seen in my life.

Walt Disney World, September 2015

It was finally time to go back to our favourite place in the world in September 2015. This was our first trip back to Florida since we got engaged there in 2013, so it was an extra special holiday for us.

Toronto, March 2016

We spent a week in Toronto in March 2016. Toronto is an incredible city with loads to see, and we also went on a day trip to Niagara Falls while we were there.

Walt Disney World, September 2016

Surprise surprise, we ended up back in Walt Disney World in September 2016. Although this trip was overshadowed by my cancer diagnosis, escaping to the most magical place on earth for two weeks was the ideal distraction.

London, October 2016

We went on an overnight theatre break to London in October 2016 to see Aladdin at the West End. I was still recovering from my operation so we had a slow couple of days, and it was lovely to get away for a night.

London, March 2017

We booked another theatre break in March 2017 as we loved the first one so much. This time we went to see The Lion King and it was absolutely amazing.

Walt Disney World, April 2017

I know I know, we can't keep away. This trip was only eight months after the last one which meant we didn't have to wait quite so long for it to arrive!

Wizarding World of Harry Potter, August 2017

I bought tickets for us to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Watford for Neil's birthday back in March. We booked our trip in August to coincide with our anniversary, and we had a brilliant time.

Florence, October 2017

It was time for us to try yet another part of Italy in October 2017. We loved Florence and I'd highly recommend it if you're looking for the perfect mix of culture, city life and relaxation.

Walt Disney World, May 2018

Back again... yes, we do enjoy going back to Walt Disney World every year. We just love it that much!

Llangennith, October 2018

We went on our first holiday with Jessie in October. It was so lovely to be able to take Jessie with us and we'll definitely be planning more dog-friendly weekends away in the near future.

Next stop... New York! 

Reminiscing about our honeymoon...

I always take part in the Instagram 'Throwback Thursday' hashtag as I love looking through old photographs. Last Thursday, I used a photo from our honeymoon which I hadn't shared on Instagram yet. This led to me looking nostalgically through all my honeymoon albums to remind myself what an amazing holiday it was.

As I take photographs with my digital camera when I'm on holiday rather than with my phone, I realised that there were loads of honeymoon photos I hadn't put on Instagram yet. I consequently decided to spend the bank holiday weekend reminiscing about our three beautiful honeymoon locations (Rome, Malcesine and Venice) through sharing new photographs.

I posted nine photos from each location on Instagram as I liked the symmetry of it... I'm a bit pedantic like that. Here's what the end result looked like:

Rome

Malcesine

Venice 

Have you been to any of these locations? Or have you written any posts about your Instagram activities? Please leave your links below if so, I love seeing other people's photographs! 

Honeymoon destination #2 - Malcesine

After four amazing days in Rome, we moved on to the next stop of our honeymoon... Malcesine in Lake Garda. I'd eagerly done lots of research on Pinterest and stumbled across some beautiful photos so I was very excited about seeing the famous Lake Garda in all its glory.

We caught the train from Rome to Verona which went without a hitch. I can confirm that Italian trains are much cleaner, spacious and punctual than British trains, and their stations are much better organised! Our transfer driver was waiting for us as we got off the train and drove us straight to our hotel, which took just under an hour. The car journey was a great opportunity to take in the scenery... we could tell straight away that we'd decided to visit an extremely beautiful part of the world.

Hotel Casa Barca was recommended to us by a friend who got married in Malcesine a few years ago. We were expecting great things after seeing the hotel's exceptionally high ratings on Trip Advisor and we definitely weren't disappointed. You'll already have seen their amazing breakfast in my previous post... it's possibly the greatest breakfast selection I've ever seen. I just loved everything about this hotel, including the bright and airy rooms, the tranquil roof garden, the secluded poolside area and the hotel bar. There was also a health and wellbeing area with a spa, jacuzzi and half price massage treatment. The hotel was only a short walk away from the town centre, and the staff were all extremely friendly and helpful. Perfection!

View from the roof garden

Outside the hotel

View from our balcony

Malcesine is such a pretty little town and a stark contrast to the grandeur and opulence of Rome. I loved the narrow streets and the unique shops dotted around the town, and there were countless restaurants and bars hidden in all the nooks and crannies. I've never seen so many bag shops in such close proximity before... this was dangerous for a bag addict like me! I also loved the coloured buildings... a pink building here and there makes the world seem like a much better place. 

The main attraction of Malcesine has to be the beautiful lake on its doorstep. I've never seen such a clear, blue and sparkling body of water in my entire life. We spent many hours walking along the lake, eating ice cream and taking in the striking view from various angles. Apparently this is a great lake for wind surfing... we didn't do that ourselves but saw lots of other people having a go! The lake really was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. 

The focal point of Malcesine is its majestic castle. I took hundreds of photos of the castle itself and of the views from different vantage points. Hundreds of people get married in this castle every year, and you can really see why when you experience its beauty. There were amazing views from every level and the castle itself was a fascinating mix of ancient stone and refurbished sections. I couldn't choose just two or three photos of the castle and of the views from it, hence the photo fest below!

We also went on a trip to Limone during our stay in Malcesine as it had been highly recommended to us and it was just a short trip across the river. We caught the boat over to Limone which was a lovely experience and we stayed there for a few hours. We walked around the lemon grove which was very relaxing and had an ice cream (of course) at the side of the lake. Limone was a real hub of activity and I loved all the lemon merchandise. Lemon soap, lemon chocolate, lemon tea towels, lemon liqueur... for someone who loves lemon, it was like a lemony paradise!

On our last day in Malcesine, we discovered yet another beautiful walk and view of the castle. There were just hidden gems everywhere, and I honestly think you could go on a different walk every day even if you stayed in this fascinating town for a month!

Malcesine really is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited, and it was the perfect honeymoon destination as it was so secluded and peaceful. I was very sad when we left Malcesine, but we did have a few days in Venice to look forward to... check back in a few days to find out what we got up to on the final leg of our honeymoon!

P.S. I apologise for the over-use of the word 'beautiful'... there are only so many superlatives in the world and there will never be enough to describe the beauty of Malcesine!

Food, glorious food (and drink) - Honeymoon style #2

After eating our way around Rome, we moved on to Malcesine in Lake Garda to discover what food and drinks this little town in the north of Italy had to offer. Quite a lot, as it happens.

We operated at a much slower pace in Malcesine which meant that we had more time to enjoy a few afternoon cocktails. I loved the way we were presented with a little bowl of crisps every time we ordered a drink... I have an unhealthy love for crisps.

If it's even possible, I think we ate even more in Malcesine than we did in Rome. Here are some of the delights we enjoyed during our stay:

My first Bellini of the holiday

Sometimes you just can't beat a pepperoni and cheese panini

Hawaiian pizza

I can't remember what this orange cocktail was called,

but it was lovely!

A simple but amazing starter... glorified cheese on toast

with lots of garlic and olive oil 

Spaghetti, chilli and olive oil... what's not to like?

Yes, we had lots of gelato here too... 

Epic pizza slice!

Glass of wine... I love the bubble glass

This was a STARTER. There were about ten mozzarella balls hidden

underneath the eggs and the cheese strips!

Steak and chips. My first ever steak!

Spinach and ricotta calzone

My favourite cocktail of all time. White Russian!

Lovely breakfast hot chocolate at the hotel

Aperol Spritz. Everyone drinks this in Malcesine!

Another epic pizza slice

More meat and cheese

Looks unappetising but this was one of my favourite meals

of the honeymoon... ravioli with smoked cheese and pistachio sauce

Mint mousse dessert with a shot of limoncello

Lunchtime Strawberry Daiquiri! 

Yet another spaghetti bolognese

More wine!

Last dessert in Malcesine... ice cream bomb

Lovely Pina Colada at the hotel bar

My large and varied breakfast on the last morning... 

We were in Malcesine for six days. That's a lot of eating and drinking opportunities, as you can see from the disgusting amount displayed above. I loved every second of it and don't regret a single bite/sip. 

Food and drink was extremely reasonable in Malcesine (2 euros for a huge pizza slice!) and we ate all our meals outside. Usually under some kind of canopy or sun umbrella, but still outside! Such a lovely relaxing place, and perfect for casually eating and drinking all afternoon (and evening). 

I'll be publishing my last instalment in a few days where I reluctantly admit to what I ate and drank in Venice. Watch this space!