I rarely visit the UK for tourism. It’s been ages since I worked there. I treat London as a transfer city and I sometimes change planes there. I’ve never been to Cornwall before and my only visit lasted no more than 12 hours and yet I consider it one of the most valuable travel lessons learnt. The first thought that comes to mind is: how on earth you are able to learn anything in such a short time? And I must say that I am the first to be skeptical so let me tell you my story. I went to Cornwall for one reason: to accompany my niece. She is minor so she needed an adult in order to travel. So we went together to London and continued our journey further west. We finally reached our destination: a small town in Cornwall where she spent a week with a British family to develop her linguistic skills. Before I left her I spent the entire day with the family who lives there and this was one of the best days in my life as a traveler. First, we received a warm welcome at the airport despite a horrible weather and a 45 minutes delay. Kate was waiting for us and although we have never met before we recognized each other in a second. We started a conversation that lasted until evening. She took us home where we met the whole family: her husband Andy and their four kids. And what a family they have! Do you know the feeling of being at home away from home? This is how we felt when we entered their house. We had a quick bite (scones with cream) and went for a walk. In a pouring rain, we visited a spectacular site: rocky cliffs and old mine remains. We had ice creams, we watched surfers, and we talked. Despite the weather, it was fun! Being with them was like a SPA for our souls. Gentle people who simply care for each other and for their guests made this day memorable. Through a conversation, laugh, endless stories and the way they treated us we felt like we wanted to stay in Cornwall forever. They told us about their everyday life, school, work, friends, family life and entertainment provided by this small corner of the world, with a true delight. Happy people living in a lovely place! I had an impression that they discovered the most important secret of life: being happy in a place where you are and at the time that is given to you. Eating dinner together with this family was a treat! I had to leave the very same day but I felt I learnt a lot about life, people and traveling. Cornwall became a land full of peace, joy, and happiness. Even if it was raining all day I remembered it as the sunniest part of the world. I felt blessed and happy that my niece stayed with them for the whole week, having the best holiday ever. I can’t wait to meet them again. Lesson learnt? It is not always possible to stay in one place for a long time for a variety of reasons but when it is not possible focus on people. They are one of the best “medium” of culture. They will tell you more about life in a place than a guidebook and they will grab your hand and show you the best places on earth: a happy home full of love. It’s priceless!  

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I normally skip this sort of activities: short stay over the weekend in a big city, but this time it was different. It was my birthday and I decided to organize a surprise trip for my husband so we could spend some time together. I wanted to make it special and, therefore, I chose a place that was new to both of us: Scotland. One of the things I took with me was a SIM card given to me by MTX Connect. It guarantees an access to the Internet in over 40 European countries including Scotland. I thought that for such a short trip there is no time to loose for purchasing a local SIM card. I decided for this handy solution to save some time and fuss. Thus, here is my story of a romantic weekend retreat with a short review of the MTX Connect services. Weekend Retreat It took me about 2 weeks to organize everything. This was a challenge as I started from getting a workshop organized in Warsaw so we had an excuse to leave the house. I bought a one-way flight from Warsaw to Dublin first with a late arrival at midnight. I booked a hotel at the airport so we could have at least 4 hours sleep before we flew to Edinburgh the very first thing in the morning. Travel Tip I shall never fly from Warsaw Modlin on Friday evening again! The line for security check was 1 hour 15 minutes long! It was unpleasant and highly frustrating. In fact, this airport is doing so badly in terms of security services there are rumors that Ryanair is leaving them (not confirmed information but I can easily believe it). Weekend in Edinburgh We arrived at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. The morning was glorious! I haven’t expected the sun and tranquility so we felt wonderful from the start. I got in touch with AirBnB host and he was kind enough to meet us at 9:00 a.m. which was great because we felt tired. The guy was polite and very welcoming. He gave us a few tips on how to move around and where to eat. We came back with a direct flight to Poznań which was a marvellous thing to do. Travel Tip Always contact your AirBnB host in advance. There is a good chance that they will accommodate your needs. Also, find a local person as a reference point and a good source of information. Super hosts are especially helpful. Food and things to do in Edinburgh I hate rushing, I dislike crowds, I loath quick guided tours. You might ask: what was I doing in Edinburgh over the weekend. Indeed, this was a tricky journey but even a person like me could find something interesting to do and do it with no rush. First, we walked a lot. We used tram only twice: a round trip to and from the airport. The rest of Edinburgh was seen by us on foot. It is a fantastic way to spend time actively, enjoy the good weather, feel independent and avoid the crowds of the public transportation. Edinburgh is a walkers’ friendly town! Second, we followed the advice of the host and ate in pubs and restaurants near the apartment. As our host said: “You can’t go wrong with food in Edinburgh”, and I must say I completely agree with him. All five restaurants and pubs we ate at were terrific! Further, we kept our restaurant budget tight with one exception: a whisky tasting experience. After all, this was my birthday, I like whisky and this was once in a lifetime opportunity to taste the real thing. This wasn’t cheap but I must say they are well prepared to accommodate guests who are not experts in whisky. Not only we felt welcomed and taken care of but most of all there were packages we could pick up with a profound comment of the waiter. We felt that even if we knew nothing about whisky we tasted the most characteristic ones. Last but not least, we visited the main attraction which is the Royal Mile only once and next day we picked up a long walk to the harbour. Crossing Leith was really nice! No crowds there and we spotted a military cemetery which was really interesting to visit. The harbour was also quite spectacular with a huge ship of the Queen Elizabeth II available for visits (the real Scots name The Queen Elizabeth the First, as the first one was not the queen of Scotland). True: we haven’t seen even half of the attractions prepared for tourists in Edinburgh so what is the point of such short visits in a city? For me, the main gain is the explorative activities. What I mean is that after 3 days I’m able to say whether I wish to visit a place again and stay there longer. Is Edinburgh a place I wish to go back to? YES! And I have a dream to expand the journey to the Highlands. A week long trekking around the mountains should do the trick! Travel Tips for Weekend Retreats Walked as much as you can. The major part of mid-size towns and cities have their historical sites located within a 2km radius of the downtown. It is best to see everything you want on foot. Visit the places that are not top 10 attractions. It’s OK if you don’t see the main attractions. Sometimes the suburbs or small villages near the main city are the most interesting ones. Spoil yourself even if only once throughout the journey! I’m so happy we tasted whisky in a proper way! Such birthday is memorable and very joyful. There are some things not worth being parsimony. Go back to a place more than once. It gives you a chance to fully know it. The MTX Connect Review Throughout the journey, I was using a SIM card sent me by MTX Connect. The card was working great. I logged in, in no...

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Here is another inspiring woman! Meet Jenny and her dog Holly. To rise the money for a local charity Jenny walked amazing distance of 100 miles! I think she made her point and I find her determination inspiring. Right after I completed a full marathon I got known that Jenny walked 4 marathons in only 4 consecutive days. So let me congratulate to Jenny and please read her story below. Trekking the South Downs Way in four days  I’ve just finished a challenge to trek the South Downs Way across southern England in four days.  To say that I am as stiff as the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz is no exaggeration!  The South Downs Way runs from the cathedral city of Winchester in Hampshire all the way to Eastbourne in East Sussex.  It’s 100 miles long over rolling countryside, escarpments and finally beautiful white chalk cliffs. Why would anyone walk four marathons in four days? To complete the South Downs Way in four days meant walking almost a marathon distance (26 miles) each day – but adding in ascents and descents which makes it feel a lot longer!  I did it because I was raising money for my local charity, The Iris Trust.   What did I see along the way on the first day? Well, the South Downs Way changes all the time!  Setting out from Winchester where there is a statue to King Alfred (who allegedly burnt the cakes), it’s a gentle, undulating rise through the rolling hills of Hampshire.  Passing up and around Beacon Hill, and on to Old Winchester Hill where there is an amazing old hill fort and many bronze age burial sites.  You can still see the ground structure quite clearly.  The third hill in this first section is Butser Hill where the views stretch right out across the Isle of Wight to the South and down to the pretty village of East Meon to the North.   A Mixure of Roman Ruins and Shin Splints! Day Two started out from the Queen Elizabeth Country Park – where many people come for a day’s walking and mountain biking.  There are lots of special jumps and trails made throughout this beautifully wooded landscape.  This was a day of quintessential English countryside; harvested fields, hawks, hills and gentle moors.  The views were amazing all the way.  As I passed Bignor Hill there were more ancient remains, this time Roman, and a fun stone step – Toby’s Stone – which commemorates one of the 19th Century’s leading huntsman of the area.  By this time my joints were starting to feel the effects of the flints and chalk stones underfoot.  Although I have great boots – Meindl – your feet and legs are rocking around all the time when you’re sliding on flints.  I had forgotten how hard that is on the shin splints – and I wasn’t even half way through! Rain, Rain, Go Away ON the third day I left lovely Holly behind (Holly is Jenny’s dog).  I knew I was in for a fair amount of rain on one of the most exposed stretches of the South Downs Way.  That’s the interesting thing; the further along you go East, the more exposed you are.  I started out of the quaint village of Amberley very early to avoid as much as I could, and made it past Chanctonbury Ring (known for witchcraft and all sorts of shenanigans) but I could see the black clouds catching me up.  Before I got to the Devil’s Dyke – a beautiful bowl with fabulous views to the coast – it came down in a thunderous shower.  Sadly I saw very little of the Devil’s Dyke because the rain was so hard my head was down battling along.  Have to confess that at this point I wasn’t sure at all that I would make it!!  But finally the sun came out, and the day finished with a bright blue – but cooler – sky.  Ditchling Beacon hove into view and I was very, very glad to see my taxi waiting for me! Holly is Very Tired The final leg from Ditchling to Eastbourne is probably the hardest.  Not just because you are tired, but because it is constantly up and down, and quite steeply in places such as the Seven Sisters. But you can’t complain on an October day when its warm enough for you to still be in shorts and a t-shirt and the sun is beating down.  This was really the first day I saw any people and by the time I reached the Seven Sisters around midday it was positively heaving with folks out to walk one of the most famous stretches of the Way.  But poor Holly had had enough by the time we reached the cliffs.  The combination of the strangeness of the height, the humidity in the dips beneath the cliffs all got too much for her and I had to carry her for a couple of miles to the Birling Gap where she stayed for the rest of the day while I finished. Around 5pm, tired, sore, really very very tired, I finally arrived at Beachy Head from where it is only a mile into Eastbourne.  Beachy Head is sadly very famous as a place where people come to commit suicide and there are rows of little crosses commemorating them.  But it is also one of the most beautiful views and spots in the South, and I was very glad to see that little lighthouse! I’m not sure I would do it again in the same way.  I now understand why there is  a raging debate between Thru-Hikers and Hikers in the US.  It’s true – the pressure of distance and time takes away a lot of the benefits you get from being surrounded by nature.  There were times I was simply too challenged and tired to stop to take a picture – just aware of one more step, running out of...

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I was lucky. I visited London many times but the trip made three years ago was the best I have ever had. I went to the TATE Gallery with my cousin (cheers buddy!)  to see an interesting exhibition of the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. The exhibition was titled “Sunflower Seeds” and was placed in a Tate Modern Turbine Hall. If you missed information about it here is what was it about: the hall was filled with natural size sunflower seeds made of porcelain (one hundred million, to be precise). I know it sounds weird but have a look at the pictures and you might try to imagine it. When the exhibition was opened people were allowed to walk on it, lay, jump, throw, touch, and everything else you can come up with, except for take away the seeds out of the Hall. Later, out of healthy reasons, they forbade the walking part, constructed a little fence around and so by the time I visited the museum I could only watch and touch the close to the fence seeds (just like on this picture below). So, how was it? Modern art is often controversial and the majority of us does not understand the intentions of the author. When entering the Turbine Hall I was impressed instantly due to the quantity of these seeds. I knew some details before going to this exhibition and so I knew that each of the seeds was hand made. I think that the artist here did an amazing thing: he returned to the basics. Everybody understands basic concepts of quantity or even infinity, which was most striking while watching the seeds. In the case of this particular exhibition a short movie showed in a room nearby explained pretty much everything so nobody was left without the explanation what this modern work of art is about. All seeds were produced using the traditional technique of porcelain production. Each seed was taken in hand and painted. Watching millions of them is impressive enough. I think the the power of this exhibition lays in simplicity and universality. Each of us can understand what it means to watch million seeds and each of them is unique. There are no two exact copies of it. Just like humans: we are all unique. Watching people entering the Turbine Hall was fascinating. Each of them tried to do something with these seeds. I was impressed that each person- starting with small children up to the adults- got engaged with this exhibition. It was simple enough to get people involved and intriguing to catch their attention. I really enjoyed this exhibition very much. And I really hate these signs in museum saying: do-not-touch-works-of-art. Well, art in general is about touching. Good art should touch the core of human. Make us think and feel.  

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You must be very lucky to see Bristol in the sun. I wasn’t. OK, let’s be fair and let’s say that ONE afternoon was SUNNY. The rest of my stay in Bristol was cloudy, rainy and foggy.  Let’s not say a word about the stereotypes and let’s just say it was simply rainy. And it was not typical English weather. It might have happened elsewhere as well. I enjoyed my stay in Bristol very much. Despite the bad weather and one visit in dental emergency everything was really fine. The city is a lovely mix of old English harbor town and the modern vibrant city with numerous revitalized spots. I started the visit in the city from a lazy walk along the canals, enjoying the wet sidewalks and the sound of the rain on my umbrella (my good advice: NEVER EVER go to the UK without an umbrella. Unless you wish to purchase one there. Umbrella is a MUST!). So, regretting I had no wellington boots with me I continued my walk towards the Clifton Suspension Bridge which- I admit- is spectacular. The construction of this bridge is really remarkable and even it is rather long (412 m) it gives you an impression of being solid and stable. The two towers seams to be well grounded on the two shores and the bridge suspended on the three independent iron chains allow you to cross Avon Gorge feeling safe and secure. Even the bridge is suspended it will not give you the feeling of suspended wooden bridge in the middle of the jungle which bounces with every step you make. As for the monuments I would advice you to visit the Bristol Cathedral which gives a good sense of English sacral architecture. When you enter you will see the perfection of capturing the light in Norman style. It is splendid. (PLUS: it is NOT raining inside!) Little less interesting is the church of St. Mary Redcliffe, nevertheless, it is close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge and it is still worthy to see. If you like the crime novels you will be probably interested in  the fact that in one of the the churches in Clifton Agatha Christie and her first husband were married (Emmanuel Church). Being a fan of crime&mystery novels does not necessary mean that you like Shaun the Sheep but it is true in my case. Therefore, I was delighted with a short visit in Aasrdman Animations and the stock of a small boutique. Splendid bookmarks with Shaun the Sheep were once precious Christmas gifts for my family members (cheers!). And now the classics: the Royal York Crescent. This majestic spot located in Clifton is under a MUST SEE category on my travel list. I went there with my Italian friend and we spend a lovely sunny morning in this spectacular place. The view from the terrace is breathtaking: you see the whole city and the docks. The houses on the Royal Crescent are SO elegant and refined. It is actually hard to believe that somebody lives there (but they do!). It reminded me a similar impression from Amsterdam when I was hanging around the city center and watching the traditional houses over canals. These houses looked like museum site rather than normal houses reminding me a funny sign from Louvre Museum in Paris saying:  DO NOT TOUCH THE WORKS OF ART. Fortunately the Royal York Crescent in real, well preserved and at the same time inhabited which makes this place even more beautiful. While being in Clifton we stepped in the small workshop called the Village Pottery (Unique Hand-made Functional Ceramics) where a lovely little cream jug was bought. The jug has nice blue pots and is very handy. We also ate there a marvelous hand made cake, a cheesecake if I’m not wrong. This place is highly recommended as a perfect conclusion of a morning walk in Clifton!  

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