This day I love.......: sea

Our Easter holidays seem to be flying by. The first few days the girls have been at football school, something they have been asking to attend for some time now. Wednesday saw them have a break and with that we headed to the seaside with Grandma and our friends. The weather wasn't the best, it was cold, windy and rainy but the week before it had been predicted snow, so in some ways we counted our blessings.

In all my years visiting Scarborough I have never seen the sea as rough or as far in during the day. I was surprised to say the least. The girls were equally as surprised but yet watching the waves crash and spill over the defence walls was mesmerising and something we could not step away from.

Easter holidays seem to be staggered over the country and as a result Scarborough was incredibly quiet. We hardly saw any other people as we walked around the parks.

With many of the usual North Bay attractions closed due to the off peak season we were incredibly happy to see the North Bay railway was still running. It was a bit of a dash as we rushed to make the last train of the day, but Little Man absolutely loved every second.

Whilst he has been on the train before he was only a baby, this time he laughed and smiled. He pointed at the sea and he went choo choo every time the train blew its whistle. He smiled so much, I have never seen him smile as much before and it was just lovely to see.

After exploring the North Bay we headed over to the Sealfe centre, which had come under invasion. Claws.

The new exhibition to SeaLife Scarborough features hands on learning and fact finding.

My daugthers, aged 5 and 7, walked around reading each of the exhibits. Finding out if they were as strong as a crab, what the smallest creature was at SeaLife or even learning about armour.

In addition to the new Claws invasion all the other attractions at SeaLife are open and we spent a good 2 hours walking round, it was no wonder the kids wanted to put their feet up.

Little Man was simply having the best day. First trains and now fish, he even found a playground to play on.

After watching the Seals we headed back inside to look at the fish and marine animals again.

Some of them hiding and others I had never seen before were out and about. Some of them were a lot easier to spot than others.

We had spent a whole day in Scarborough and at 7.30 decided it was time to make the journey home. The kids in their PJ just in case they fell asleep on the way home, Little Man did but the girls did not, and dinner in the car on the journey home.

We always have such a wonderful day out when we visit Scarborough, and this time was no exception. Whilst we may have visited SeaLife several times before it was still great to go again and see the invasion and to get hands on with the new exhibits. I am looking forward to our next trip to Scarborough when hopefully we will be able to play on the beach too!

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The Yorkshire Coast 10K, or as I prefer Scarborough 10K, has been on my bucket list for a while. Mainly because I love visiting Scarborough but also an excuse to eat chips after is an additional bonus. I knew the route as I have visited many times before, but never run it before so was a little unsure what to expect.

A few weeks ago I would have simply 'just' run the Scarborough 10K, but seeking words of wisdom from a friend [and now coach] a very careful plan was formulated to stick to. I have never run this way before, to a plan, normally I just run. I have broken down runs before but never into a plan as such. I was keen to see what would happen and wanted to do everything I could to put the plan into place.

The second I woke up I was weather watching, it looked windy outside and rather rainy, but after messaging the harriers I was picking up we decided to take the drive to Scarborough carefully. As we progressed down the A64 the wind seemed to calm down and the rain eventually came to a stop. Phew.

A short journey from the Park and Ride to the start line and here began the queue for the toilets. I counted 10 people in front of me for 1 toilet. 18 minutes to go, seemed ok odds. 8 people with 15 minutes to go, less favourable odds. Made it to the start line with 4 minutes to spare. Good job we had warmed up walking from the bus stop to the start area.

Starting right at the back, something I had never done before, but I had no choice. We moved forward with over 2,000 other runners and began battling through the crowds. Weaving in and out, maintaining a steady, comfortable pace but still progressing. The first 1km was just a sea of colour, past the shops of South Bay. Slightly behind the target pace, but only just. Continuing past the shops and small pockets of space had begun opening up, followed by congested areas. Slight steady ups and past the 2km marker, just a bit quicker than target time. The head wind then hit as you ran round the bend into North Bay and round the castle. I felt like I was spending far too much energy pushing against the wind. Pace was on target, and in the distance I could see the lead car and front runners heading back towards me. Amazing watching the speed they run at, am full of admiration. It made the km seem to go quite fast watching them come past.

Onwards past the sea and into the open air theatre, I was feeling good. Comfortable, slight stitch, but good. Water station in the theatre just at 4km but declined a drink. Kept pushing to a rather lovely decline and the White pyramids of the SeaLife were in front. Round the back of the SeaLife to the turn around point just past 5km.

I was feeling really good so upped the pace a little and continued to run past the colourful chalets along the beach front. Shouting and cheering at the runners approaching the turn around point and overtaking runners who were now starting to flag. Onwards to 6km and some weird side/head wind started to happen, once again feeling like too much energy was been used.

7km mark, I could remember this from the way in, the point I had seen the lead runners. Nearly there now. Down back into South Bay. Pushing now to get home, the end was in sight on the other side of the marina. Here it had become congested again. Runners walking, flagging and trying to keep going. I pushed on to the homeward straight.

Really congested in the homeward straight but incredibly well supported by the crowds. Lots of clapping and cheering which was needed for that final push home. I finished in a time of 56.54. No PB by a long way but that wasn't the point of today. I was pleased and also amazed at how good the race had felt. Comfortable and relaxed. It was quite a boost running past people and not getting overtaken, which is what often happens in races.

I really enjoyed the Scarborough 10k and so far it has to be one of my favourite races. Looking forward to the race next Sunday!

This day I love running and chips!

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Having recently returned from a trip to Portugal for which we flew into and left from Faro airport, however we had never really ventured into the city. Faro is such a vibrant place with plenty to do for families. As a family we decided to spend 24 hours in Faro, and for the vast majority of our time there it rain. In addition to these places featured there were plenty of parks for the kids to play in, a playground near the marina and of course many shops to visit.

Capela dos Ossos - Chapel of Bones

The chapel of bones is located to the rear of the Carmo church and as a result is only accessible when the church is not in use for mass or service. The church is beautiful in its own right and is certainly worth a visit.

The walls and ceilings are lined with gold that glistens in the Portuguese sun. My children stood mesmerised by the statues and figures, trying to take it all in. In order to reach the chapel of bones you walk the aisle up towards the altar before turning to the right to go towards the back of the church.

As you stand in the chapel of bones it is hard to comprehend what you are looking at. The walls, ceiling and archways are all made from human bones including skulls. each skull perfectly aligned to the one above and below and there is a real symmetry about the design. In a strange way it is captivating, and strangely beautiful. The girls were fascinated about what they were looking at.

Cidade Velha - Old Town

Faro Old town is surrounded by the old city walls, upon entering through the giant gate archway you feel transported back into a traditional city. Narrow cobbled streets, with stunning architecture on the buildings. The streets have shops selling traditional goods, houses, and cafes. A trip to old town is worth it alone just to have a walk around and immerse yourself in history or simply stop at one of the cafe to watch the world go past. If you do visit Old town there is one place which has to be visited, Faro Cathedral and look out tower

The cathedral, museum and grounds were perfect for taking a lazy walk around. Looking at the different artifacts and discussing the history of old town with the girls, but it was the look out tower that made the visit. The steps are steep and winding but both girls managed it, we did take our time, and the views from the top are breath taking.

We had a pretty rainy day, and you can see in the photo above the rain coming into shore, but we still had fantastic views over Faro and old town.

Centro de Ciência Viva do Algarve - Science Museum

Our day in Faro rained, pretty much the whole time, so we looked for things we could do whatever the weather. The majority of the science museum is indoors, there is a garden outside but we chose to stay in the main building. The girls were simply blown away.

The museum is very hands on, encouraging children to learn by exploring. Upon entering the museum the girls were greeted with a large aquarium, and of course they needed to take time to find Nemo!

Whilst the majority of the instructions are in Portuguese, this simply added to the fun. Not only trying to work out what each exhibit did and how it worked, but also learning about the exhibit itself! The girls favourite part was the earthquake bridge which shook to replicate an earthquake, Little Man loved the giant bubbles and for me I loved the attention to detail. The bright colours, the decorations and how all the exhibits worked with each other.

In addition to the outside area the main building is on two floors. The attraction upstairs is insects and reptiles with a focus on scorpions and spiders. I am usually OK with house spiders, and the bigger spiders if I know where they are but I have never seen spiders this big before. Following with the rest of the museum this area is also very hands on, although the girls were not too keen on this prospect despite it just the skin of the spider and not a live spider they could interact with. [If you are scared of spiders please scroll quickly past the next photo]

Marina

I always feel at peace next to water. The marina in Faro is such a beautiful place that is very family friendly. As well as a flat walk that is great for pushchairs, there is also an outdoor park for the older children to play in. We had dinner in a pizza restaurant right on the marina front, and I have to say the food was delicious and came with a fantastic view.

The beach is also accessible from here which was a wonderful place to sit and watch the planes take off and the gorgeous sunset! Do be aware that there is an active train line to cross to get to the beach, and our pushchair wheels got stuck so take care.

Land train

As the heavy rain poured down we sort shelter in the Land train. The train picks up outside the marina by the playground, I would give you a time but as the tourist information point said it should be here but they seem to be a bit random times today. The land train took us on a tour of Faro and lasted around 30 minutes. Whilst the tour was in English the points the narrator was mentioning was not in the location we currently were, so for example it was talking about the marina whilst we were at the top of a hill looking at a statue! Not that it made any difference to the children, they simply loved the fact were were taking a ride on a train!

There was so much to see and do in Faro, fantastic shops and restaurants and plenty for the whole family whatever the weather. We spent a full 24 hours in Faro in the rain and could have easily spent longer! Faro really is a great family friendly city to visit.

This post is part of travelcast.tv, an exciting new video platform.

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During the school holidays we caught a train to Scarborough. Yorkshire is such an amazing place to live, countryside and the Pennines on one side and an hour on the train gorgeous beaches and the seaside. It is no wonder we love to be outside with all that Yorkshire has to offer.

Scarborough is one of my favourite places. The mix of old and new, clean beaches and plenty to keep the whole family occupied. Split into two distinct areas, the North Bay and South Bay. South Bay is where you will find the fairground, the traditional 2p slot machines and the beach shops selling t-shirts, buckets and spades and souvenirs. We rarely visit the South Bay as we much prefer the traditional feel of the North Bay.

North Bay has barely changed in the 30 years I have been visiting Scarborough. Gone are the chairlifts and outdoor pools, instead replaced with a modern outdoor theatre and park. Kinderland, a favourite from my childhood, has also long gone and replaced with a modern indoor water park. Scarborough has undergone many transformations, yet its feel, its heart, still remains true to its roots. Which is why, perhaps, that the changes seem to have merged into the old, and the roots of Scarborough remain untouched.

The white pyramids of the Sealife centre dominate one point of the North pier, which is in contrast to the ruins of Scarborough castle at the other. Old meets new, both fit and shape the coastal path of Scarborough. Children happily playing in the clean sandy beaches below, searching for crabs and other marine life in the rock pools or building sandcastles with their family. There is a real welcoming atmosphere as you stroll along the promenade.

The promenade is lined with restaurants, which welcome both children and dogs, a surf school, and ice cream parlour. It is a great place to simply sit and watch the world go past, watching the excitement of the children heading towards the beach.

It is from here you can catch an open top bus which drives down to South Bay, or the steam train which takes you to the SeaLife centre. The walk to the SeaLife centre is flat, and easy for a 4 year old to manage or even to push a pushchair. Unless you choose to walk through the gardens, which has a few more hills. Walking down the promenade you pass a selection of ice cream vans, the colourful beach huts and mini golf. The promenade has not changed and as I walked down it holding my children's hands I have flash backs to my own childhood doing the exact same thing.

Scarborough is the very essence of a British summer time, the very heart and soul of what the seaside means. It is a place where memories are made, and laughter goes on well into the night. A chance for friendships to grow and for new ones to be made. Scarborough has something for everyone, is welcoming to all and is where my heart belongs.

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