Covid Travel – Jason likes to travel

Dublin – September 2021

Hello dear readers! Last time out on the blog I spoke about something that I suppose is the antithesis of any travel blogger – the untaken trip! It’s easy writing about trips you’ve taken, enjoyed and want to talk about but last time out I spoke of a planned trip to Dublin which just didn’t happen.

“Hey, remember that time I didn’t go to Dublin..?”

2019 was a busy year and I’d reached somewhat of a breaking point in terms of energy levels and therefore in the interests of my mental health as much as anything I decided that I needed a weekend off to slow down, recuperate and just not do anything. Consequently I made a last-minute, difficult decision to not travel to Ireland in May 2019 – which incidentally would have been my first trip to Ireland.

I stand by the decision. It was the right thing to do and there was no real regret but of course that didn’t stop an inner voice niggling away at me throughout 2020 – “you actually passed up on an opportunity to travel last year? – you idiot!”

There couldn’t have been a bigger contrast between 2019 and then 2020. If 2019 had felt too busy at times, 2020 definitely went to the other extreme in having that itch to be able to do anything. Borders closed, restrictions were imposed all over the globe, the travel industry came to a standstill.

I was fortunate to have squeezed in two overseas trips in to 2020. Admittedly one of those was BC (before Covid) and the other was to a British territory (Gibraltar) so not truly free travel but I was certainly luckier than most to have escaped reality for a little while. I hoped for a better 2021 and of course the big ol’ wedding in Washington come the September.

Alas, 2021 was arguably worse for travel with numerous obstacles to jump through and often ever-changing obstacles so just as you had some inkling that you were okay to go somewhere, a day later someone would make a decision that snatched that opportunity from you. 2021 was arguably the year of last-minute travel – tough luck on those unable to travel-plan at the last second.

Planning a trip at the last minute has its own challenges but is at least manageable. However for an occasion such as a wedding, we couldn’t rely on everything being last minute. I’d booked myself four weeks off of work but as September inched closer and closer, the US border showed no signs of opening.

Americans everywhere were seemingly welcome to travel in and out of their country but us pesky foreigners seemingly posed a greater threat and America stayed closed for business. We eventually reached a point where a decision had to be made – it’s a decision we probably should have made sooner but we eventually made the decision to postpone our wedding until April 2022.

We’d known all along that the US border’s closure may pose a problem for our plans to get married in Washington but I’d still been hopeful we could spend some time somewhere. I pondered if I could maybe go across the border to somewhere like Vancouver or that maybe we could take a little break somewhere together, just to have some time together after months spent apart. Sadly life got in the way and things didn’t pan out for Haleigh to be able to join me. It left me with four weeks off work with nothing to do.

With no big wedding to worry about I decided I probably didn’t need the entirety of that four weeks off work. I decided to cancel one of those weeks with the hopes that if I moved it to November that the US might be open for Thanksgiving (it was – hurrah!).

That change still left me with three weeks off work in September though. If I couldn’t travel to see Haleigh, I still wanted to travel somewhere. I wasn’t sure if I’d go away for the full three weeks but I knew that I didn’t want to be at home moping for the entirety of it.

So where to?

As I said, 2021 was a rubbish year for travel. You couldn’t plan anything and even if you did, there were no guarantees. Infact the only other trip I’d planned so far this year was a long weekend spent in Eastbourne and then the hotel I was staying at cancelled my reservation days before I was due to go – bloody annoying!

There were so many things to consider when planning a trip. Possible hotel cancellations, possible flight cancellations, the risk of Covid, the Covid requirements in a destination, the risk of having to quarantine and on and on and on. The ‘safest’ way to travel was to plan it all last minute and hope for the best.

Looking back it appears that I only booked flights and accommodation for this particular trip a week before going which is a sign of how fairly last minute things were. I’d umm’d and ahh’d for as long as I could before committing to spending six days in Ireland.

Ireland just made a lot of sense. It was close to home, the Covid entry requirements were fairly straight-forward whilst at the same time appreciating that Ireland were still taking Covid seriously. The Covid cases were much lower than England but unlike England, Ireland still had restrictions in place. The biggest reason though was just the desire to visit Ireland – I’d yet to do so and that failed trip in 2019 gave me a little more motivation to finally visit.

Of course I would much rather have been flying to Washington, getting married and thinking about finally getting on with my future with Haleigh but I made the best of the hand I’d been dealt. One of the perks to having three weeks off was that I could go to Ireland for longer than I’d planned to in 2019. That 2019 trip was only set to be a 3-day weekend in Dublin. For this trip I had six days split between Dublin and Cork. I was excited to finally be making my first visit to Ireland!

One of the best things about visiting Ireland from England is that it’s so quick! I had a lunchtime flight out of Stansted on the Tuesday but being such a short flight it meant I arrived in to Dublin mid-afternoon.

The journey to Dublin was smooth, the hassle getting away from the airport much less so. Now admittedly I hadn’t really done any prior research beforehand but how hard can it be getting from the airport to central Dublin?

The whole process took far longer than it should have done. It took me a while to figure out where I needed to catch a bus, only to find that I couldn’t then pay by card – nor could I pay with anything other than exact change with a bus fare of let’s say 3.27 euros. I popped over to a nearby shop to buy an extortionate bottle of water to break a note down only to return and find a grumpy driver insistent that it had to be exact. None of this four euros malarkey or 3.30 or even the hint of overpaying the fare just so I could catch a sodding bus in to the city.

Perhaps I misremember things but I was particularly frustrated and it wasn’t the best of starts to life in Ireland. I was really reluctant to spend money on a taxi so in the end I went and found an alternative bus company which was a little more expensive but much less hassle and quickly got me on a bus heading to the city centre.

I obviously hadn’t been to the city so I wasn’t 100% sure where I needed to get off but the ticket-sellers gave me a vague idea and by chance we happened to pass my hotel upon entering the city- I was staying at a Hilton just on the North side of the river Liffey which ended up being a really nice base for the next few days.

I checked in to my hotel, relaxed for a little bit and then started considering my options for the evening. Any time I visit somewhere I’m always tempted to go and find some live sport to watch so a big part of me wanted to go and watch the Republic of Ireland v Serbia football match. However I think this Covid travel era just brought the absolute pessimist out of me.

I’m generally a positive and optimistic person but there were too many hoops to jump through, no guarantees that something wouldn’t go wrong and then the ticket prices seemed too high which was the final tipping point. I decided not to bother.

The football was a nice idea but I hadn’t really come to Ireland with any plans. I needed to travel this month because I knew the alternative would be that I’d just spend the entirety of September moping at home but being brutally honest, I think there was still a part of me content to mope and Ireland kind of ticked the right boxes for that. I hadn’t come here for anything in particular – there was no grand plan but I could mope in Dublin’s finest and that’s where this trip begins I suppose.

I went and found myself a pub near the hotel. Let me add that I was on the hunt for dinner and this particular pub had a decent food menu but the selection of craft beers was an added bonus.

At the time there were still some Covid restrictions which meant Ireland had implemented a country-wide policy of “table service only” at any venues and also proof of vaccination anywhere you went. No mask – no entry. No vaccination – no service.

It made for an interesting trip but also made me feel a little better about having traveled in Covid-times, there were more restrictions here than there were in England at the time.

A handful of Irish fans popped in to this pub donning their famous green shirts and I did feel a little envy that I wasn’t going to the game but I enjoyed a beer from some Galway brewery and settled in for an evening of drinking and people-watching.

I’ve always loved the Irish accent, moreso on women, but this was the first time I’d really struggled with it. I hadn’t anticipated it being as difficult as it was but this was one of those occasions where I pondered if those around me were even speaking English. I was watching the barman chat with what was clearly a regular and struggled to comprehend a single word either of them were saying.

“Please tell me the reason I can’t understand you is because you’re speaking Gaelic..”

Every so often I’d catch a word in English but for the most-part it was incomprehensible English. I finished off my meal, had another pint or two but it wasn’t a very late evening. I pondered whether I should wander somewhere else for some night-time entertainment but in the end I just headed back to my hotel – there was still plenty of time to enjoy Dublin and Ireland.

The next morning I woke up and walked over to Connolly train station, looking for a train heading out to Malahide. I’d asked for some recommendations before heading over and this was one recommendation that fellow travel blogger, John, had suggested and tempted me. It was a pretty easy journey and reasonably priced and soon enough I’d arrived in the heart of a small village-like place called Malahide which is about 20-30 minutes north of central Dublin.

I’d come here specifically to see Malahide castle. Due to Covid restrictions I again had to prove my vaccination status, wear a mask and I also believe book tickets in advance. Included within the ticket was a guided tour of the castle and then a self-guided tour of the gardens.

The castle grounds were huge. A large portion of it is accessible to the public but from train station to castle doors is a good ol’ walk and plenty of people were walking their dogs and enjoying the greenery. The castle itself is a nice size. I found the tour itself interesting and our tour guide seemed very knowledgeable. I snapped a few photos along the way whilst our guide told us more about each room and the history of the castle.

Following on from the tour I took a wander through the private gardens which was really equally enjoyable. Home to a magical fairy trail, it’s very family friendly and there’s plenty of sculptures and other things that catch your eye as you walk through. Access is restricted to those with tickets so you also get to see views of the castle that you otherwise wouldn’t see – it was a nice addition to the castle visit.

Content I’d seen all I wanted to of the grounds I wandered back towards Malahide’s centre, had a brief look around and then caught the train back in to Dublin with plans to go and find lunch somewhere. I got off at a relatively quiet station which was unfortunate as my ticket didn’t allow me through the ticket barriers for some reason and there were no staff on hand to help me pass through – I was stuck!

Fortunately I managed to flag the attention of someone hidden away in an office and they let me through and I continued on my quest for lunch. I took inspiration from another recommendation and settled upon a nice pub / restaurant in a quiet neighbourhood. Being midweek it wasn’t very busy but it was a great find and the pie and mash was delicious so made for a worthwhile detour.

After lunch I was meeting up with the previously mentioned John, coming to Dublin I had to reach out and see if he was free and fortunately he was. I took a bit of a detour on route back to the river and managed to pass Dublin’s Aviva Stadium – an impressive looking stadium at that. I grabbed some photos before continuing onwards past the dock / canal area which had a scattering of street art – adding some colour to the area at the very least.

Unfortunately my phone was on its last legs and its battery life wasn’t well suited to travel / busy days anymore. I’d taken a fair few photos in the morning and knew my phone wasn’t going to last long enough to actually meet up with John – I had to take a detour via my hotel to have a brief phone-charge which meant I was running a little later than intended. John ended up meeting me at my hotel and we then ventured over to a nearby drinking hole for a drink and a chance to meet for the first time – certainly a highlight of my time in Dublin.

John left me with a few further recommendations, some of which I’d already planned for, but they were welcome nonetheless. We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I popped back to the hotel for an hour or so and made plans for the evening – I was really keen to get my first glimpse of the “famous” Temple Bar district of Dublin.

For dinner I decided I’d tick off another “landmark” and visit Dublin’s Hard Rock Cafe – long time readers will know I’ve been to my fair share and as Dublin’s is in the heart of Temple Bar it seemed rude not to pop in at least once on my trip.

Covid pass – mask – table – repeat.

So far there had been no exception to this practice. Perhaps as a result of this the Hard Rock Cafe was pretty quiet when I visited. I enjoyed some food and then went in search of entertainment for the evening.

It’s worth saying here that this was Dublin and Ireland slowly opening up again – the Covid restrictions were necessary and I’m glad that Ireland were taking it seriously but this wasn’t Irish nightlife in all its glory – it was a compromised Dublin testing the waters to see if it were safe to open up again. Consequently things were a little more civilised than things perhaps would be in “normal times” in Dublin.

Nevertheless a more cautious Dublin probably still has a better nightlife than most. I tried my hand at a couple of pubs but due to its “table-only” policy and being full capacity I was turned away from the first couple I tried visiting. In the end I found somewhere a little quieter down one of the side streets.

Covid pass – mask – table – repeat.

I found a table and ordered myself a Guinness – the first of this trip. Ordinarily I don’t drink the black stuff but “when in Rome.. “.

Dublin myth will tell you that Guinness tastes better here and in all honesty it’s hard to argue. It did taste good and turned the tide a little in terms of enjoying Guinness. I’d finally been converted in becoming a fan of Guinness!

I only stuck around for one before moving on. I’d come to Temple Bar for the entertainment and this particular pub was lacking the live music that I was craving so I moved on and tried my luck at returning to one of the pubs from earlier – success this time!

I was shoved towards what barely could even be considered a table but I had a stool and a windowsill to place my drink – tucked away in the corner of the pub – good enough! I ordered another Guinness and was content listening to this Irish duo sing away for a while.

In normal times I’m sure there’d have been a few having a little jig on the pub floor somewhere but sadly in Covid times a seat jig was the best any of us were going to muster up. It was still enjoyable and I could have sat there for hours in all honesty but I’m sure for the locals it wasn’t quite what they were used to.

I think there was a changeover in singers / entertainment and I took that as my cue to move on and try somewhere else. Nearby down one of the side streets was another great venue for live music albeit with a longer queue to get a table. I decided to just ride this one out and wait as long as needs be to get a table to enjoy the rest of my evening. The voice was again very good but I was essentially seated at the equivalent of a “restricted view” seat. I couldn’t actually see the singer on stage from where I was sat but I wasn’t particularly bothered as I could still hear the artist. This was unfortunately just a sign of the times. At least I had a seat and another Guinness.

Having had my fill of entertainment I walked back along the river towards my hotel. Merry enough that I’d had a nice night but sober enough there was no risk of a hangover in the morning. Infact I dare say Guinness is one of those drinks I can perhaps drink endlessly without any suffering. There’ve definitely been trips where I’ve misjudged my limit and passed the point of “one too many” but I’ve yet to find that limit with Guinness. I don’t know that it exists – which is worrying and satisfying in equal measure. It was certainly something I found easy to drink whilst in Dublin and has since become a nice option for longer drinking sessions back home.

The next morning I’d made plans to visit Kilmainham Gaol – again requiring Covid passes, masks and booking in advance. An unexpected bonus was that at the time entry fees had been scrapped so I was able to visit for free – leaving me very confused at the time of booking. I went as far as emailing them to confirm whether I was expected to pay something on the day because all over the website suggested a fee for admission and yet I’d not paid anything at the time of booking. They were quite quick to respond actually and confirmed that all of their heritage sites were free to visit until the end of the year – probably trying to entice people to return in 2021 off the back of a difficult couple of years.

I considered my options on how to reach Kilmainham from my hotel and in the end walked the three or so miles. Distance aside, it was a pretty straight-forward walk actually. I arrived in good time and was the first to arrive in our allotted time-slot for another guided tour.

The tour begins in its courtroom before taking you through the rest of the gaol (jail) whilst a tour guide tells you about it and Ireland’s history. There were a few attractions I didn’t get around to visiting whilst in Dublin but this was one I made sure to visit and it hadn’t disappointed. It was one of the highlights of my time in Dublin and I’m glad I’d made time for it. After the tour you’re free to take a look around its museum area which was also interesting before you then exit.

Like much of the trip, from there I had no real plan. I had tickets for the famous Guinness Storehouse / Museum that is considered another must visit on any trip to Dublin but because of Covid I couldn’t just turn up. I’d booked an advance ticket and my allotted time slot wasn’t until later in the afternoon so I had a good few hours in-between the two attractions.

I wandered from the jail back in to town, stopping off at this interesting coffee spot for a cup of tea and a snack before exploring more of central Dublin. I’d timed my walk to coincide with winding up near the Brazen Head – supposedly the oldest pub in Dublin and they make claim to being one of the oldest in the world even although that has been disputed by another pub in Ireland which claims to date back 300-ish years earlier.

The Brazen Head however still boasts 800+ years in business so I popped in for lunch as many before me likely have over the years. It’s a nice pub, I really liked it. I sat at a table outside with a little covering above me. The sausage and mash was really good, nicely accompanied with a Guinness. I imagine it attracts a few more tourists because of its age but overall I’d still recommend a visit and it has a lot of character that makes it a fine pub.

After lunch I wandered back up to the river not really sure of what I wanted to do next. I still had a bit of time to kill before the Guinness Storehouse but I had nothing else that I particularly wanted to do – this of course wasn’t helped by spontaneity being an impossibility during Covid. If you wanted to visit attractions, you generally needed to have booked in advance.

Contemplating what to do, I vividly remember spending a few minutes just overlooking the Liffey and casting judgment on Dublin as a whole.

I don’t think Dublin is a particular pretty city but this particular view was lovely, I was having a nice enough time in Dublin but Dublin was just lacking something. I couldn’t place my finger on it at the time but as nice as it was to be away for a few days, I could easily see myself never returning to Dublin.

Some places you immediately click with, others take a bit of warming to but I just wasn’t feeling it. Nothing tickled my fancy so I wandered back to my hotel and took a nap rather than wander for the sake of wandering – I’d spent most of the day on foot anyway so I’d seen a fair bit of Dublin this morning.

Following a short sleep I was up and back on foot, returning in the direction I’d come from and made my way over to the Guinness Storehouse for my self-guided tour. I was a little early which meant I had to wait for a brief time as they were quite strict on entry time – probably partially due to Covid numbers limiting capacity although as it’s a self-guided tour there’s no time limit on how long you can spend there.

Anyway, shortly after our time slot we were granted entry and I was on my way. Over the course of the tour you learn about how Guinness is made, the history of Guinness and its impact on Dublin and the world. They delve in to the marketing and advertising campaigns over the years and there’s even a section where you learn to pour your own pint – although I didn’t personally do this so it may have been excluded from the tour given Covid was still a big concern at the time.

I have to say it was really enjoyable. I was by no means a huge fan of Guinness but I think even non-Guinness lovers or non-beer lovers will still enjoy a visit here. It was one of the highlights of my time in Dublin. Rounding off the tour and included within the admission price is a free Guinness / drink at the rooftop bar which was a nice way to finish things off.

I ordered a drink and “enjoyed” the views of Dublin. I say enjoyed a tad loosely as although the “Gravity Bar” offers 360 degree views overlooking the city, it’s not the prettiest of cities and I don’t think the views here offer really much of anything worth looking at. Nevertheless there’s a nice atmosphere up there and it was the perfect spot to finish off the afternoon – aided by an unexpected perk upon my visit.

By pure coincidence my afternoon pint was accompanied with a text from my boss back home informing me that I was to receive a payrise!

Now, I don’t want to get in to trouble by suggesting that every visitor to the Guinness Storehouse receives a payrise but it certainly boosted my mood and made my time here all the more memorable. I finished off my Guinness, made my way to ground level and turned my attention to dinner with my new-found riches – it’s worth adding at this point that Ireland is not cheap so it was a welcome boost to the funding of what was a fairly costly trip for somewhere so close to home.

Speaking of close.. I didn’t venture very far from the Guinness Storehouse for food. Just around the corner is a small pub called Harkins which seemed convenient enough. As a reminder to not judge a book by its cover, looking at its exterior I wasn’t particularly encouraged and the Thursday evening crowd also didn’t seem particularly friendly / inviting. I contemplated moving on and trying my luck somewhere else but fortunately I took a chance on it and the Irish stew made up for any reservations I’d had. It was delicious and completely justified me visiting here – an unexpected surprise!

After dinner I headed over to the Temple Bar area. Having discovered I was seemingly immune to any alcoholic effects of Guinness I was looking forward to another night of the black stuff and a little live music to enjoy the evening. I checked out a couple of pubs, including one of the ones I’d visited the night before which hosts live music every evening, before calling it a night and preparing to say goodbye to Dublin. It was almost time to leave!

The next morning I was in a bit of a funk. Truth be told my heart wasn’t in this trip but I didn’t really want to go home either. I was supposed to be leaving for Cork today but looked in to the possibility of staying in Dublin instead, I hadn’t loved Dublin by any means but I also didn’t really fancy moving onwards. I had to fly home from Dublin so I’d be back here anyway and there was a part of me looking for a convenient reason to just stay.

In what can only be described as travel-procrastination I left it as late as possible to check out of my hotel that morning. I was supposed to be in Washington getting married. I didn’t particularly want to go to Cork, didn’t really want to be in Dublin but also didn’t really want to go home. I was stuck and committed to being in Ireland for three more nights. First world problems, eh?

Eventually checking out, I figured I might as well hang around in Dublin long enough to grab some lunch and popped to this nearby place called Urban Brewing which was just around the corner from my hotel.

I’ll start by saying that a quick look at Google shows a scattering of reviews which are very hit and miss – perhaps it’s gone downhill a little since my visit but the negative reviews were not my experience at all. It’s different to your traditional Irish pub perhaps but I liked it and my only regret is I hadn’t come here sooner.

The selection of beer was very good as you’d expect, the staff were friendly and there was just a buzz to the place that made for a really nice atmosphere. Infact it was here that I had somewhat of an epiphany and suddenly I realised what Dublin was lacking. That *thing* that I couldn’t place my finger on the day before whilst overlooking the Liffey.

There are a lot of things to like about Dublin. It’s a nice city, it’s easy to get around, it has some fun and interesting attractions, it’s a good place for eating out and its nightlife is as good a reason as any to visit. My one criticism of Dublin / Ireland would be how expensive it was but that isn’t something that stops me loving London, Paris, New York etc.

For some reason Dublin just wasn’t doing it for me and I didn’t know why. It took until this Friday afternoon to realise that what it had really lacked was people. This is probably true of many destinations but Dublin’s charm and romance if you want to call it that is with its people.

The streets of Dublin had by no means been deserted up to this point. There were people around and seemingly having a nice time but there was Covid repeatedly peeking its head around the corner to remind you of its presence.

It was Friday afternoon though and “weekend mode” was starting to kick in – this brewery had a real buzz. People were chatting and laughing and making their weekend plans whilst enjoying a beer over a long lunch and although I wasn’t necessarily in those groups of people, just being around it gave some actual life to Dublin. I was completely content and it finally gave me some real appreciation for the city.

Suddenly I wanted to stay here in Dublin. The sun was shining, the beer was flowing, laughter surrounded me and the weekend was coming. A weekend in Dublin – maybe this was what I needed for the city to finally win me over.

Alas, just as I’d started considering sacking off going to Cork and staying in Dublin for the weekend it quickly became apparent that it’d be stupidly expensive to do so. A weekend in Dublin is not for the last minute-planner. Even with an unexpected payrise, I couldn’t justify staying in Dublin. I’d finally got excited about being here and that short-lived dream was snatched away from me – “If you have a spare 4 million euros you could probably find a hotel for the night..”

Resigned to my fate I figured I’d at least make the most of my current surroundings and order another beer. What’s the rush to leave this? It’s lovely here, everyone’s having a great time and the sun is shining! Let’s have one more beer!

Eventually I left and made my way over to Dublin’s Heuston station and bought myself a ticket heading to Cork – ready for part two of this Irish adventure!

Reflecting on Dublin a couple of years later it’s hard to say whether I feel much differently. I think I’d be okay with never returning to Dublin. With so many places in the world I’d like to see and so many others that I’d genuinely like to return to, it’s hard to imagine when I’ll get back to Dublin. The one thing in its favour is its proximity to England making it an easy weekend trip but it didn’t blow me away.

Part of that was undoubtedly down to Covid and another factor being my own circumstances. I think there was a part of me that wanted to just go to Ireland to drink and mope so perhaps its unsurprising that I never truly warmed to Dublin.

That’s not to say Dublin doesn’t have its merits too. There were things I enjoyed during the trip, fond memories I have of Dublin and some things I’m glad I got to see and do. Additionally a little like Nashville, the nightlife in some places on an off night is still better than the nightlife in other places on its best night. Experiencing Dublin’s nightlife over a weekend in non-Covid times is probably one of the few reasons I’d make a case for returning.

Will I ever return to Dublin? I really don’t know but at the very least I’d be back here for one more night before flying home. Next up though: Cork!

Stay tuned!

Jason

Gibraltar – Oct 2020

Hello my dear readers, welcome back to another post! Can you believe it? I’m posting twice within a week – incredible!

After a little hiatus, last time out on the blog I provided a little update and promised that I’d post about my recent trip to Gibraltar! Here’s that post!

I’d never been to Gibraltar before, nor had I really had that much interest in going to Gibraltar. Of course I want to visit everywhere in the world but I definitely feel like it ended up being a Covid-influenced decision. As I explained in my last post, with so many travel restrictions currently I found myself torn between staying in the UK, visiting Turkey or visiting Gibraltar with my few days of annual leave.

I’ve been itching to visit Turkey for a little while now but something swayed me towards Gibraltar instead. A few days after booking my trip Turkey went on the quarantine list so that was a big relief.

As for the UK.. well, the less said about the Covid situation in the UK at the moment the better. Ironically a trip to Gibraltar seemed safer than visiting anywhere within my own country – ridiculous!

Once everything was booked my excitement did start to build. It had been six months since I’d been abroad and indeed six months since I’d been to Heathrow. I opted to stay in an airport hotel on the Wednesday night and then fly out of terminal 5 at around midday on Thursday – not too early so I got a bit of a lay in on Thursday morning.

Heathrow was inevitably a bit busier than my arrival back in April but was still far from normal capacity. I passed through security pretty quickly and went on the hunt for breakfast. My usual pre-flight spot is at Huxley’s with some pancakes and a pot of tea but they were seemingly closed – I’m hoping this is just temporary but in the meantime I had to settle for breakfast at ‘Spoons’. They had a few screens up between tables and table service so adhering to the Covid measures in place. In fairness to Wetherspoons, they’ve actually encouraged ordering via an app for a long time so have been a little “ahead of the game” on that front.

Anyway, a short while later it was time to fly. Boarding was pretty smooth and done from the back of the plane by row order, I lucked out on the way to Gibraltar with an aisle seat and nobody sat in the middle. However it was generally a full-capacity flight and most rows had every seat full, just worth keeping in mind for anybody pondering how busy flights are at the moment – masks were mandatory and there seemed to be no fuss on that part at least.

I landed in Gibraltar a few hours later. Before you’re allowed to enter Gibraltar you have to complete a passenger-locator form. You can do this online once you’ve checked in for your flight, it surprised me how many hadn’t done this before arrival. They check every single passenger so you’re better off doing it beforehand rather than stood huddled together filling out a form in the arrival hall.

Anyway, I’d finally arrived in a very warm and sunny Gibraltar. You can get a taxi to your accommodation or there’s a bus stop not too far from the airport that will take you in to the centre of the country but with glorious weather I decided to walk to my hotel.

The very Northern point of Gibraltar to the very Southern point of Gibraltar is about 6 kilometers in length so it’s a really walkable country. The airport is in the very North of the country so you want to head South, in direction of that big ol’ rock, to get in to Gibraltar. You’ll know which way you need to go because the border crossing in to Spain is right in front of you when you come out of the airport and the rock is behind you and unmissable haha.

Interestingly to get in to the main part of Gibraltar you have to cross the runway which you’ve just flown in on. It’s quite unique and they’ll stop crossings when a plane is due to land or depart.

I walked in direction of the rock and even getting a little lost I’d soon arrived in what I considered to be the heart and soul of the country – Casemates Square. The square had a bit of a buzz and life to it. Additionally it’s in a really picturesque location so my first impressions of Gibraltar were good. I already felt like I was going to enjoy Gibraltar.

Gibraltar Casemates Daytime — Casemates Square

I think it was about 4-4:30 when I landed so by the time I’d walked in to Gibraltar I was ready to check in to my hotel and drop my things off. A friend had recommended a couple of places and I opted to stay at the Elliott Hotel which proved to be a good decision as it was a lovely hotel and in a really good location in relation to everywhere else in Gibraltar. I dropped my things off, relaxed for a little bit and then freshened up to head out and find some dinner.

I decided I’d stay pretty local. A friend over on Instagram lives in Gibraltar at the moment and had kindly sent a bunch of recommendations over to me – one of those was ‘The Skull’ which was just around the corner from my hotel so seemed particularly ideal on my first night given I’d yet to get my bearings with where things were.

Gibraltar The Skull — The Skull, Gibraltar

True to its name, everything at this little bar was Skull themed! Skull designed flooring, skulls lining the bar, skull-shaped lightbulbs, skull-inspired artwork and even skull-themed dishes. My chips turned up in a skull-designed glass, as did my cocktail that followed dinner haha. It was a nice little place and a good spot for my first evening. It was pretty empty though which surprised me a bit given England and Wales were playing eachother in the football and this particular bar were televising the game – admittedly another incentive for me to visit on my first night.

There’s no curfew in Gibraltar, unlike the UK currently, but because there were so few customers they didn’t stay open late. I was assured it’d be a bit more lively on Friday evening but with an early kicking-out time I had a little wander through Gibraltar to see what else was local to where I was staying.

In all honesty I was aiming for the waterfront but after little success finding it I admitted defeat. I didn’t really see anything else of particular interest on my wander so just headed back to my hotel and called it a night, ready to explore and get a proper glimpse of Gibraltar in the morning.

I woke up on Friday morning to darkness which was quite confusing. I thought it must still be early in the morning but even at 7, 7:30 in the morning it’s dark outside. The sun didn’t rise until about 8:30 in the morning which I found a little unsettling and also a little demotivating to get myself up and raring to go. I reckon I’d have been up and raring to go a bit earlier but instead I rolled over and went back to sleep, I wasn’t heading out to explore whilst it was still so dark.

Unfortunately this became a bit of a ‘bad habit’ if there’s such a thing on holiday. As much as I’d want to get my day going I just couldn’t drag myself out of bed before the sun was up. It was probably closer to 10 or 11am by the time I’d left my hotel and it felt like such a waste of my morning. I went and found a place to grab some breakfast but the slow start had set the tone for the rest of the day.

It ended up being a really relaxed day. There were a few things I wanted to do whilst in Gibraltar but none set for any particular day, I was largely winging it and just seeing where things took me.

Ultimately Friday just became a familiarisation day that allowed me to get my bearings with where things are in Gibraltar. I’d not had much chance to do so yet but I kind of used it to earmark where I’d spend the next few days. By the afternoon I’d wound up at the popular ‘Ocean Village’.

I wouldn’t call it a village as such but it’s where you’ll find a lot of the nightlife in Gibraltar. There’s a host of restaurants and bars floating above the water, joined by a variety of boats and yachts including the impressive ‘Sunborn’ which you can stay on and is also home to a casino.

I liked Ocean Village but it probably does cater more towards the tourists. That said, I was a tourist so found myself an outside seat at one of the bars and refreshed myself with a beer or two. Keen not to stay in one spot all day I did drag myself away from the temptation to just sit in the sun all afternoon and wandered back through the streets of Gibraltar before making my way back to Casemates Square.

As I said above, it really is the heart and soul of Gibraltar in my mind. You’ve got tourists and the locals intertwined and it makes for a really nice atmosphere and is also perfect for people-watching!

I must have arrived sometime between 3pm – 4pm because there was a huge collection of school children running around enjoying themselves whilst the cafes, pubs and restaurants were slowly filling up for the evening.

Due to a late breakfast I’d skipped lunch and found myself in that peckish dilemma of “is it too late for lunch / too early for dinner?” before eventually deciding I was too hungry to wait. I took a seat at the Italian restaurant ‘Tramonte Ristorante’ and treated myself to a pizza which ended up being pretty good!

The rest of my day was pretty uneventful, I didn’t do anything particularly noteworthy but I felt a lot more comfortable with where things were and the quickest ways to get around. I ended up getting a rather early night, particularly for a Friday, keen to make a better go of exploring on Saturday.

A few people knowing I was in Gibraltar had asked if I’d “seen the monkeys yet” and I’d decided going to the top of the rock was my plan for Saturday. However I sensibly took a look at the forecast and whilst warm, it looked like it was going to be a cloudy day and I thought better of it so instead I decided I’d head on down to ‘Europa Point’ at the Southern tip of Gibraltar.

With a bit of a walk ahead of me I kicked off my morning at this little cafe down the street from my hotel. Having missed out at Heathrow I ended up getting some pancakes which was the perfect way to start the day. I was then off on my journey “down South”.

The walk was a little over 2 miles, nothing too strenuous and most of it is coastal too so I’d definitely recommend walking it rather than hopping on a bus. There isn’t too much traffic so it’s a decent walk and offers some really pretty views of the coast and Spain to the West.

Along the way I stumbled upon public outdoor pool areas, some interesting historic buildings and structures and even a little waterfall which I really wasn’t expecting. It’s not a particularly long walk but it’s definitely easy to get distracted along the way which might slow you down a bit haha.

Eventually I reached this long dark tunnel which you have to pass through (coming this route anyway..) which seemed to go on for a bit longer than I was expecting.

As soon as you come out of the tunnel you’ll see a gorgeous mosque on your left. Unfortunately it seemed to be closed so there wasn’t an opportunity to take a look inside but I made sure to grab a couple of photos from the outside.

By this point you’re pretty much at Europa Point and the lighthouse on the Southern coast of Gibraltar.

Europa Point was probably my favourite part of Gibraltar. I think it just really resonated with the traveler within me. Just across the water was the North African coast and it just left me mesmerised!

Gibraltar Europa Point — You can vaguely see the outline of Africa, much more visible on a clear day!

On a clearer day it’d be so much more visible, my photos don’t do it any justice but Africa was right there! It’s one thing crossing state lines or country borders but to be stood in Gibraltar with Spain on my right and Africa in front of me – wow!

It was mindblowing in some ways. I came here fully aware of that fact so it’s not like it was a surprise but I couldn’t help but transport myself to historic times and put myself in that mindset. I just pictured being stood in Gibraltar with the curiosity and mystery of “hey.. what’s over there?” – “that’s Africa..”

Even now, with the world so accessible and with so much knowledge of other places Africa has that mystery. It was my hope to get to Morocco this year and it obviously didn’t pan out, much like Turkey, so this is the closest I’ve come to stepping on African soil. You can get a little closer in parts of Spain but realistically I knew this was as close as I’m ever likely to get to Africa without stepping in Africa.

I have a habit of romanticising travel, perhaps too much at times, but I was stood there looking across the water and definitely had that “pinch me” moment. There’s so much I don’t know about Africa and I think those of us from the Western world in general are guilty of that.

I found myself completely swept up in the lure of Africa. There’s not a huge amount in the vicinity of Europa Point but I think I could have just sat there all day day-dreaming. It’s a sight and experience you have to make time for in Gibraltar.

Also at Europa Point you’ll find a lighthouse and then a university. The university seemed very sports focused and it’s probably of little shock that I found myself drawn to the Europa Point stadium. It’s in such a stunning location with the rock and its surroundings providing a gorgeous background. Again, I think if I was ever playing on that pitch I’d just get lost within the scenery.

“Jason.. what are you doing? You’ve just let them score!”

Gibraltar Europa Point Stadium — Europa Point Stadium, Gibraltar

Dragging myself away from Europa Point I embarked on a coastal walk. The sun was beginning to make an appearance and it’s just a beautiful place to go for a wander. I stopped every so often to take photos of the views but my intended destination was Gorham’s Cave Complex – a World Heritage site.

This was a bit of a last minute decision. I’d only considered it once I realised how close it was to Europa Point. My lack of preparation meant I didn’t know that it was closed at the weekend so I arrived to find locked gates and subsequently no opportunity to see the cave complex on this particular trip. I turned back and took a slow walk back in to the heart of Gibraltar, via Europa Point again of course.

With the sun finally shining I did ponder whether I could squeeze in a trip up to the top of the rock and tick off both landmarks in one day. However in the end I took a more relaxed approach and decided I’d leave the Rock until tomorrow.

Thinking that it might be time to find somewhere for some food I made my way over to ‘Queensway Quay’ which is a gorgeous little harbour-like area with a handful of restaurants overlooking the water with numerous yachts and pretty boats parked on the docks.

This was somewhere that you’d probably be less inclined to just stumble upon unless you were actively looking for it so it felt a little less touristy than somewhere like Ocean Village. I found myself a table sat outside, ordered some beer and grabbed myself a late lunch whilst overlooking the harbour.

By this point I was pretty smitten with Gibraltar and I’d returned to day-dreaming, this time as a boat owner living the dream life in the sun. Sod going back to Corona-land, I was staying here.

Essentially this was the “South of France..” or “retire in Spain..” lifestyle but with the added boost of a common language. I sat people-watching and this cute couple were sat just infront of me seemingly making the best of their honeymoon. The, socially-distanced, table to the right was an older couple and it wasn’t long before the four of them had become acquainted and friendly and spent the next hour or so chatting.

There’s only one way I’d know that so no need to guess how I spent the next couple of hours. People-watching, sunshine, beers, pretty views, no responsibilities.. what more could you want? It felt almost like living in an alternative reality – “this is what life looks like in a country tackling Covid effectively..”. I was equally bliss and resentful. I was in no rush to leave Gibraltar and just wanted to soak up this feeling.

Eventually I opted to have a wander elsewhere and just get lost within the old town. Despite the huge rock that towers over Gibraltar, it’s such a walkable country and it’s nice to just wander aimlessly and see what you stumble upon. After a while I returned to the hotel to freshen up and relax for a bit before pondering where to spend the evening.

I decided I’d go and grab dinner around Casemates Square and find myself a nice spot to soak up the atmosphere. It’s a lovely spot to watch the sun go down and do some more people-watching. For a Saturday evening it wasn’t overly busy which surprised me a little but there was enough of a buzz that it kept me entertained.

I wasn’t in a rush to call it a night but fancied a change of scenery so thought I’d take a better glimpse at Ocean Village’s own nightlife. Again it wasn’t swarming with people but a little busier than it had been when I passed through on Wednesday. There’s a number of restaurants / bars that you can grab a drink at.

I started off at one bar that had been recommended to me and also had cheap cocktails. I was only going to grab the one cocktail but with a 2-for-1 offer it seemed silly not to have two. I was a little disappointed however that you couldn’t mix-and-match which would have allowed me to try two different cocktails. The bar in general wasn’t really my kind of place either, not solo anyway and it just wasn’t the vibe I was after.

I finished off my cocktails and swiftly moved on. Unlike in the UK currently, there’s no curfew in Gibraltar so I wasn’t having to glance at the clock for a 10pm close. I wandered over to another bar in the Ocean Village which I’d heard were really good for craft beers / ales.

That’s the one possible disappointment and, dare I say, gap in the market as far as Gibraltar is concerned. I decided early on in the trip that I was buying a boat and opening a brewery in Gibraltar because it stuns me that there are no breweries in Gibraltar – not one!

You won’t find locally-made beers in Gibraltar, they’re all imported and generally your options are San Miguel or Heineken in most places you visit – I generally opted for San Miguel but with how popular craft beers are right now it really surprises me. With the weather and dining-out style culture it is the perfect country for better beers and Gibraltar is seriously lacking in that department.

So I was looking forward to finishing off my evening by visiting somewhere that prided themselves on their craft beer selection. Sadly it doesn’t matter how good your menu is if none of the beers are in stock! I was bitterly disappointed. In the end I took my chance on a fruity gin. I’ve never really drunk gin but when better to try it than on holiday? It went down alright and I’m probably more pro-gin than I was before the trip. It was a beautifully decorated bar too so was a nice way to end the evening.

Sunday morning started like the two before it – pitch black! I’d continually wake up raring to go and the lack of sunlight ends up being so demotivating – back to sleep! I woke up a little while later and got myself ready to go up the rock.

I repeatedly debated whether I should climb it by foot or cheat and take the cablecar up. I unsurprisingly opted for the latter and I can’t say I have any regrets. It’s just so much more convenient haha.

At the top you’ve got 360 degree views overlooking the entire country and beyond. It’s definitely the ‘must-do’ of any trip to Gibraltar. It’s also where you’ll find the only wild monkeys in Europe!

I’ll be honest, I thought there’d be much more of them based on stuff I’d read. There were a handful fooling around but not that many. I was one of the earliest people to go up though so perhaps they’re more prominent later in the day when there are more tourists to steal goodies from. Not that I minded too much, I was happy they kept a good distance from me haha.

The views are spectacular and there’s a few other attractions dotted around such as the ‘Skywalk’ or the Windsor suspension bridge. Rather than take the cablecar back down I decided I’d walk down and tick off a few of the points of interest.

The area I probably spent the most time exploring was the ‘great siege tunnels’ in the lower part of the Rock area. It went in to a bit more of the history of Gibraltar which was interesting to read about. It was still pretty early so I had it pretty much all to myself so I could take a bit more time and get some fun photos too!

Outside of the tunnels there’s a couple more cool viewpoints but it was pretty much all downhill from there. I’d definitely recommend going early in the day, it was slowly getting busier on my way down than it had been when I’d first gone up.

By the time I’d made my way down the steps in to the old town I was feeling a bit peckish and I was really hoping to find a decent Sunday roast somewhere. I ended up going to ‘The Clipper’ and it was really, really good. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Gibraltar on a Sunday, it was really good value too for the quality and quantity of food they served up.

After stuffing myself with food I wandered back over to where I’d started the day. Right by where you ride the cablecar is the botanical gardens and I was keen to have a wander through the gardens, I probably should have done so before I’d rode the cablecar up but I hadn’t really anticipated walking back down haha.

The botanical gardens are free to visit and definitely worthwhile visiting for that reason alone. I was expecting it to be a little busier given it was a Sunday afternoon by this point but it was still pretty quiet. Again, I wasn’t going to complain. It just meant I could enjoy a peaceful wander through and admire how pretty it is. I’m sure if I was a local I’d spend many an afternoon here and it wasn’t long before I’d found a bench to sit back, relax and admire the surroundings.

The gardens aren’t particularly huge so eventually I’d covered pretty much all of it and went back to wandering the streets of Gibraltar. By this point I’d pretty much seen all of Gibraltar that I’d wanted to, it’s worth remembering it’s a pretty small country and I’d ticked off the two big things I wanted to see in terms of the Rock and Europa Point. The rest of my Sunday was pretty chilled.

Sunday was my last night in Gibraltar so I wanted to end it by enjoying what felt like my “last taste of freedom”. I think Gibraltar is the kind of destination that I’d enjoy in normal circumstances. I think it had the perfect balance and feel of being a European destination but with a nice dusting of British influence on it that made it really appealing to me. Boat jokes aside, it’s somewhere I could easily see myself living.

That’s in normal circumstances of course. The irony wasn’t lost on me that I was lucky enough to have been able to escape for a few days but perhaps unfortunate enough that it had given me a taste of normality. Gibraltar had been perfect but left me feeling more resentful of what I was going home to.

I really liked Gibraltar but there was definitely a part of me that pondered how could you not in a pandemic? This was as normal as life had felt in a long time and I was desperate to cling on to that feeling of normality.

I treated myself to a steak on the last night in a restaurant over in Ocean Village. It proved to be a perfect spot to watch the sun go down accompanied with a beer. It was a world away from life back in England. I moved on to another bar, had another couple of cocktails and was trying to enjoy this final night for as long as possible. I even stayed out beyond 10pm – wild!

Sadly, it eventually it had to come to an end and was time to call it a night. Monday morning was really a struggle. The only part of Gibraltar I hadn’t really explored was its East coast and I had contemplated going over to Catalan Bay beach which the barman on my first night had said I’d have to visit.

However I just couldn’t drag myself out of bed. Luckily I didn’t have to check out until midday but I just wasn’t ready to go, to leave this false life and return to the normality of a pandemic. My slump wasn’t helped by the fact I knew the UK government were implementing new lockdown measures today and I was fearing the worst.

That’s not to say I didn’t think those measures were needed but to be in a relatively Covid-secure country and returning to a country that was spiraling out of control was difficult to accept on this particular occasion.

Regardless of how gloomy I felt about returning to the UK, what was the alternative? I checked out as close to noon as possible and figured I’d just go grab some lunch somewhere. Catalan Bay would have to wait until a future visit to Gibraltar, I only had a couple of hours left and didn’t want to go too far out my way.

Ocean Village’s proximity to the airport made it an ideal lunch spot and location to soak in the last few rays of sunshine before I had to say goodbye. Ordinarily I’m a “get-to-the-airport-early” kind of traveler but I did hold back a bit on this occasion.

Admittedly I knew Gibraltar’s airport was pretty small and that only one flight was departing Gibraltar so there wasn’t going to be a huge rush at the airport but the reality is I was still clinging on – just one more beer..

I slowly made my way back to the airport, again opting to walk. It’s only about 10-15 minutes from Ocean Village on foot. My later departure meant I got stopped at the runway crossing as we had to wait for a flight to land before they opened up the road to traffic and pedestrians – a nice little novelty experience to round off the trip.

The flight home was full on this occasion and soon enough I’d landed back in a wet London, Gibraltar’s sunshine was a distant memory.

As for those UK measures I’d been concerned about? The good news is they were much more lenient than I’d anticipated. I’d really feared the worst and I was surprised to discover that as far as my area of the UK was concerned it was “business as usual” and the measures in place were unchanged. It perked me up a little bit from my mood that morning.

The bad news? Well.. the measures were much more lenient than I’d anticipated. It was in equal part good and bad news. There was an air of inevitability about what had to happen to get this virus under control again in the UK and unbelievably it seemed that memo didn’t quite get as far as Downing Street.

As much as I loved Gibraltar I’m left pondering when we’re ever going to reach that point in the UK where life can resemble some form of reality again. Gibraltar was a wonderful trip but also a difficult one as it took me back to happier times and I wasn’t quite ready to give that up.

Anyway, I’ve rambled plenty so time to wrap up this post! I’m sure Gibraltar is a place I’ll return to but next time on the blog I’ll be continuing on with the “big 3-0” trip.

Stay tuned!

Jason

An update on life!

Hello my dear readers!

It has been a few months since I last posted but I assure you I’m still alive and well. Some of you will have seen me floating around on other social media but I fell out of the habit of posting here regularly, or reading other bloggers posts for that matter.

I want to try and get back in to the swing of things but before jumping in to the travel, I thought I’d offer a bit of an update. Why haven’t I been posting? Where have I been? What have I been up to?

In all honesty, there’s no real reason for the lack of posting. You miss one week and before you know it it’s three months without a post. I’ve come close to finishing off a few draft posts on a number of occasions but I haven’t got as far as hitting that ‘publish’ button and consequently the blog has felt a little bit neglected.

With Covid and more time at home I can’t even say I haven’t had the time, I’ve just preoccupied myself with other things. Be it watching football, learning Finnish (Thank you Duolingo – long overdue!), watching Netflix, training, work or a number of other bits and pieces. Despite spending the bulk of my time at home I have been keeping myself busy.

I’ve also squeezed in a couple of trips since I last posted. I was a little more cautious / hesistant with the first trip but in August I went and spent a few days by the sea with a four-night trip to the Norfolk coast. I didn’t really feel right to be flying across the globe for my travel fix so decided I’d stay in England and pretty local too. I was also conscious about the weekends during the summer being busier so restricted myself to a Monday-Friday getaway which was nice.

Cromer Pier

It was good to have a little taste of normality, particularly with the UK running the ‘eat out to help out’ scheme in August which coincided with my trip. A few days of sunshine was a good little fix and the perfect escape after three months of home-working in which I rarely left the house.

After August I still had 11 days of annual leave to use before the end of the year. I’d already optimistically booked off Thanksgiving week but as November draws closer it’s safe to say I won’t be visiting Washington. If the border re-opens this year that’d be a miracle!

The other six days I split in to two with the aim of a long weekend in October and a long weekend in December. I figured the first of those I’d travel somewhere and was toying with whether to stay in the UK or go abroad.

Work swayed my decision a little bit, I was more than happy working from home but work asked me to return to the office in September and it changed my mindset I think. I feel like an office environment with 100 odd other people is far riskier than the minimal social interaction I’ve had over the past six months.

So I kept an open mind about getting on a plane in October – still considering the Covid situation of course. With ever-changing circumstances and travel restrictions I narrowed my options down to a long weekend in the UK, Turkey or Gibraltar – leaning in favour of a trip out of the country.

Growing restrictions in the UK, such as curfews, only emphasised that thinking and it was a toss-up between Turkey and Gibraltar in the end. Both countries had low cases and the latter has still had 0 Covid deaths – zero! Incredible really.

I wanted to leave the decision as late as possible so I wasn’t stung by any restrictions or quarantine. I’ve been itching to go to Turkey for a while now so it seemed like the early favourite but something in the back of my mind must have swayed me in another direction as I eventually opted to book a trip to Gibraltar! A few days later Turkey unexpectedly went on to the quarantine list, it was a bit of a shock given the numbers but I felt a huge sigh of relief when the news broke.

Gibraltar

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I flew out to Gibraltar for another four night trip and a long-weekend in a country I’d never been to. With the situation getting increasingly worse in the UK I actually felt better about going abroad than had I actually booked a ‘staycation’.

I enjoyed Gibraltar a lot, I could definitely have stayed there for longer and just not come home haha. I’ll be writing up about that trip next time on the blog, hopefully very soon, and then getting back in to the swing of things and continuing the “big 3-0” series.

Stay tuned!

Jason