When planning my recent day trip to the Kent Coast, I earmarked two new-to-me specialty coffee spots to visit: Forts in Margate...and its sister location in Broadstairs. Better still, I could walk from one Forts to the other along the Viking Coastal Trail. And because good things come in threes, I also paid a visit to Curve, an old favourite of mine, which had moved to a new location since I was last in Margate.
I made the most of Saturday's sunshine by heading to the coast — specifically, the Kent towns of Margate and Broadstairs. I was too late to get accommodation in Margate (Fort Road Hotel was my top choice) but the high-speed trains mean you can pack in a lot on a day trip. Read on for my one-day Margate and Broadstairs itinerary, including the Viking Coastal Trail and other things to do and places to eat, drink and shop.
One of the highlights of my recent trip to Madeira was the one-day tour I took around West Madeira. Stunning mountain vistas, lush green landscapes, natural swimming pools and ethereal forests were all on the agenda. Suffice it to say, my camera got a good workout that day! Read on to find out more.
The Portuguese island of Madeira — located some 500 miles southwest of the mainland, just over 400 miles west of Morocco — wasn't really on my radar until a few years ago. After a couple of friends had wonderful trips, it soared up my to-visit list.
In May, I was in serious need of a break and some sunshine. The Portuguese island of Madeira has been on my to-visit list for several years and I took advantage of the extra public holiday for the Coronation to book in a trip. I have a whole separate Madeira travel guide, and here are some of my favourite specialty coffee spots from my visit.
If you're a regular reader of this blog, you'll know I've visited a *few* specialty coffee shops over the past 16 years. Many have been beautifully and thoughtfully designed. But the new branch of % Arabica in Spitalfields really takes the cake (canelé, perhaps) with its stunning coffee bar. If you enjoy the works of Yayoi Kusama, you'll probably feel at home here.
Perch Bakery is a beautiful new cafe in Birmingham that serves specialty coffee, creative brunch dishes and exquisite pastries. I indulged in all three of these when I paid a visit to Perch en route to Wolverhampton on Saturday and I was very impressed.
