chrisj

Sadly travel blog and apple do not see eye to eye and therefore I am giving up in this blog. Please head over to twitter and follow me (@chrisjackis) or become a friend on Facebook. Hasta luego!... read more

In a city with a population of close to 8 million people and 15 million visitors a year you'd be surprised to think there would be a quiet street to be found less than a stones throw from the Thames, however this is where you find me as I write my first blog entry of 2011. Having spent the morning ensuring I would be able to blog (trips to mobile phone shops) , it was out for lunch to one of the many quality local pubs around Borough (where I am based for the next week) with my brother Paul. The Goldsmith on Southwark Bridge Road is the quintessential local pub that does delicious Sunday roasts and by all accounts an interesting weekly menu that includes Thai Tuesday, a traditional Thai menu cooked by their resident ... read more

The nice lady presenting the weather declared that there was “...autumnal...” weather on the way. Autumnal indeed! Rain and wind greeted me on my return to England following 30 consecutive days of sunshine throughout Europe . I was only boasting yesterday that I had had sunshine every day of my holiday however today it is bloody awful! I really enjoyed my time in Ireland. Ballybunion may not be the most exciting place on earth but the sunshine, beaches and the ocean is a lovely combination. Top that off with the odd pint of guinness and winning some money on the horses at the Listowel races on Sunday is was also a very profitable stay. The flight back on Ryanair was an uneventful one. If there was ever a day I fancied a stoush with that airline ... read more

I arrived in Sardinia on Friday after a train ride from Barcelona to Madrid and a flight with Ryanair from Madrid to Sardinia. The train was incredibly comfortable, breakfast and a movie was provided and the service very special. Ryanair from Madrid was a different story. I had previously sworn never to fly Ryanair again however I had no choice this time and again it lived up to my extremely low expectations. On arrival at Barajas Airport in Madrid I discovered that my suitcase was three kgs overweight (Ryanair charge you for every kg your bag is over their 15kg limit.) My overweight bag set me back 60 euros! As many are beginning to realise you are better off flying with the older, more established airlines who in the end provide a level of service you ... read more

Tuesday morning and its a pinch and a punch for the first of the month as I go in search for some casuelas. For the first time I have really felt the humidity as I wandered through el Born in the Barrio Gotico . In summer it is always hot in the old part of town as the heat gets trapped in the narrow streets, however the humidity must be at record levels, you could almost feel steam rising in front of you. First stop today was one of Barça's other fresh food markets at Santa Caterina. This is a market glistening with fresh seafood, skinned rabbits (with apologies to rabbit lovers) poultry, fresh eggs (sold individually and by size!) and the freshest fruit and vegetables. It may not have the reputation of el boqueria ... read more