This day I love.......: visit

We were provided with tickets to watch Disney on Ice but have not been asked to write a post or received any other compensation. I simply wanted to remember our evening and have decided to write this post myself.

A few weeks ago we made the short journey to Leeds to watch Disney on Ice at the First Direct Arena. I hand't realised at the time of booking the tickets that my eldest daughter was on residential with school, so not wanting the ticket to go to waste my youngest daughter brought a friend with her. Both girls were really excited and more so when they learnt they would get to meet Mickey and Minnie mouse. The surprise would soon continue, and something I had no idea about.

We collected our tickets and were seated on row A seat 1, I suddenly wished I had dressed up a bit and sorted my hair. I also wished I had my proper camera, but had to make do with 30% battery on my phone. The girls were so close to the ice they could touch it and then the big surprise came. Would they like to go on the ice and ride in the cart? I think their excitement went sky high at this point and they could not wait!

Little Man is still in the potty training phase I like to call toilet inspector. I therefore missed most of the beginning of the performance as I was up constantly taking him to the toilet. Although I knew he didn't need to go I still have to take him. He managed to calm down and settled in to watch the show, we were so close to the performers!

The big moment came and the girls were whisked away with Aladdin. Grinning from ear to ear as they had fun on the ice. They are so incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunity to do that and they both haven't stopped talking about it.

The rest of the show seemed to fly by. There were so many different characters to see, a real medley to showcase the wonderful world of Disney.

It was a truly amazing evening that created wonderful memories and for that we are incredibly grateful for the tickets we received to watch the show and for giving the girls the opportunity to be on the ice.

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Well April [and almost May] seems to have just flown by so quickly! I really am trying to keep on top of these running updates.

The 1st April was a Saturday which can only mean 1 thing, parkrun! I took this one steady and recorded one of my slowest times of the year, but also at the same time it was one of the most enjoyable as me and my running buddy just simply had a laugh and giggle all the way round. Sometimes those are the best runs!

Junior parkrun follows on a Sunday and when the girls run I volunteer, usually with Little Man strapped to me. My youngest daughter was running for her half marathon band, and my eldest running for her marathon band. Unfortunately my eldest fell over and grazed her hip which meant she did not finish.

In sympathy for my daughter on Monday night club run I also fell over, well I was pushed by a certain person who later tried to shove me in front of a moving car, I continued with club run and am still plotting my revenge. [it's all in good fun!]

The rest of the week saw some steady 5Ks with the pushchair and the dog in tow, and a very clingy little man who was not too happy about running. This resulted in several runs getting aborted only a few kms into the run.

One such run resulted in a treadmill session once Little Man napped. J watches me on the treadmill and seems to have a very confused look as I run. As soon as I finish though he jumps onto the end of the treadmill! I am trying to work on both my speed and cardio fitness and one of the ways I am looking to do this is with a few more treadmill sessions.

I had set myself a target time of 30minutes at parkrun the following Saturday and fell just short with a time of 30.06. I am going to blame the rather fantastic injury to my side from the 'fall' earlier in the week.

My youngest daughter was awarded her half marathon wrist band at junior parkrun and my eldest completed her marathon ready to be awarded her marathon band next time. After volunteering again at junior parkrun we made a 45 minute journey over to York to support my club in the Vale of York 10. I think it important to show the girls the importance of a team and that supporting and encouraging your team members and friends is a very important role to undertake.

The next two weeks saw us on our holiday in Orlando Florida! We walked over 20,000 steps every day, I think our lowest step day was 18,000! I did however take my running kit with me and managed a couple of 5K runs. I had to get up very early as by 8am it was just too hot to run! It wasn't the best place for running and I would just run around the hotel and the nearby shopping outlet. Still a run is a run!

One thing the Americans do know how to do is organise a race! I took part in Lake Nona Pig run whilst there and it was one of the best organised races I have every done! A 5km race which at 3.5km you enter a 'pig pen'. Here you have to enter an assigned number of donuts before completing the race. Some people had 12 donuts assigned to them!

I absolutely loved this race. Everything from the atmosphere, to the organisation to the course itself and I will be writing it more in detail soon. Even the medal is fantastic!

Both girls had a fantastic time too, free popcorn, free candy floss and they even completed a fun run which my eldest won! At the end of their race they were awarded with donuts and a medal, I think possibly one of their favourite races to date too!

I had tried desperately and failed to get a place in the runDisney Star wars event. It is on my bucket list of races and I really would have loved to have taken part. As the week progressed the set up for the race began to take place and it began to really hit home that I wasn't running it. One year I will.

Our holiday finished with a Disney cruise. On board the cruise ship is a running track and I loved waking up early to watch the sunrise as I ran around the ship. It was hard work. Passing the engine room at one end with a strong smell of fuel, one side of the ship had such strong headwinds that crew members were stationed on deck to make sure no one went over board but it was just beautiful. The sunrises in the Bahamas over the ocean are like no other. The boat fast asleep, slowly becoming more and more alive as the morning progressed. I felt so lucky to witness the sunrise each morning

Our final day on board and once again an early start. This time however on shore and a very wet 5km. Castaway 5km is a 5km run around Disney very own private island. The weather was not kind. The heavens opened up and there was a very heavy downpour. There were people running in plastic Dinsey Ponchos, and there was me in my t shirt thinking it felt just like home. I actually found it harder to run on the flat in the heat and the rain, than I do running at home with the hills. At least an up hill has a downhill! I simply went out and had fun and although struggled at first to get a pace, I found it easy to pick out certain parts of the course which broke down the route. Whatever I did worked because I ran my first Sub 30 5km!

Monday and Tuesday that week involved Jet lag and travelling so my first run was a 5 mile road race for the road league. I would love to write about what happened but in all honesty I cannot remember the race. I was unbelievably jet lagged. I have no idea what the course was. I have no idea of the weather. I was just so tired. All I can remember is wanting to sleep, and my legs just moving!

The next morning I went for a run with my best mate but even that had to be abandoned as Little Man decided he did not want to be in his pushchair! The weeks running just went out the window!

Friday was another day travelling this time to conference in London. I had located a parkrun close to the hotel for Saturday. I had a nice 2 mile warm up run to parkrun and ran my first tourist parkrun. I had wanted to get my first 50 parkrun at my home run, but I could not go without my parkrun fix. I think 1 tour is allowed right?

It was a lovely flat course with views of the Olympic stadium and I even got a PB! I was super happy and a great way to start a Saturday. Realising just how close the Olympic stadium actually was was an opportunity I could not turn down. Sunday morning I got up early and ran to the Olympic stadium and around the grounds. I liked the view better on this side of the rings before anyone comments!

I ended April on a huge high with a 5k PB, my first sub 30 5K and ready for the marathon training to begin!

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We boarded the train one cold, winters morning in early December to make the journey up to Edinburgh. I had briefly visited during a work trip many years ago, but we had never travelled there as a family. The girls were very excited by the prospect of a train journey and an adventure, and as we finally found space on the train we watched the scenery change outside the window as we travelled further north.

Upon arrival in Edinburgh our priorities were to locate something to eat, and immediately outside the train station is the start of the Christmas markets. Greeted with German sausages, pancakes and hot chocolate it was not long before our tummies were full and our adventure could begin.

Following the crowds of people we walked around the Christmas market. Our senses awakened by the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas. Mulled wine, cinnamon, orange peel, the scents filled the Christmas markets as people busied around looking for Christmas gifts. The girls looked on in amazement at all the decorations and gifts before them, wanting to buy everything and taking everything in.

The skyline dominated by the big wheel on one side and the castle to the other. This gave us a bearing and we knew by heading towards it the Christmas markets would be underneath.

The market at Edinburgh is split into two levels. The market stalls wind down the hill from the upper level to the lower, each one offering gifts and festive items. There is a real festive atmosphere as you walk through each level of the market.

A visit to Edinburgh would not be complete without a trip to the castle. The blue sky and winter sun made the castle seem incredibly magical as we ventured inside.

Both girls have never seen a red phone box before and located inside the castle are two. They wondered why people were taking photos of them and what they were, so I took them inside put 60p into the phone and called Grandma. Their faces say it all.

After a walk down the Royal mile we had lunch in Jenners before heading to St. Andrew Square. Jenners had an impressive Christmas display although it is one of those department stores that you seem to get lost in! Situated at St. Andrew square was the ice skating rink. We had wanted to skate but discovered upon arrival that you needed to book, which meant we missed out on the opportunity to skate this time.

This however worked in our favour as it meant we could take a leisurely walk down George street to take a look at all the Christmas lights. Unlike anything we had seen before the whole street was covered in light, and right at the end was a castle of lights.

The city of Edinburgh allows old and traditional to perfectly marry new and modern. A city full of history but with a modern vibe.

12 hours was only enough to scratch the surface of all that Edinburgh has to offer. We stood and watched Edinburgh twinkle with the festive lights as waited for our train home.

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After taking the girls to school I met my Mum at the train station and we headed into Leeds. I had heard great things about Leeds Christmas market and wanted to check it out for myself. The market is a slight walk from the train station, and if you did not know where Millennium Square was you could end up getting a little lost. Whilst the back drop was beautiful, the market itself was incredibly quiet. I could not help but feel it might have been better situated in the main shopper area as it would see a greater footfall.

My Mum and I had a look around each stall, but nothing really jumped out at us. Perhaps because it was a weekday but the market seemed very quiet and lacked any atmosphere. It was still lovely to have a walk around and spend some time with my Mum.

Outside of the market and a little walk is another Christmas area with the Leeds wheel.

The modern structure of the wheel glistened against the afternoon sky. There was no one on the wheel but I can imagine it would be a hive of activity in the evening.

After leaving the markets we walked back through the main city centre. There was plenty of hustle and bustle as people bought Christmas presents and here is began to feel much more festive.

Our day seemed to rush past us and we hurried back to the train station. I left the train just in time to pick the girls straight up from school and I quickly bundled them into the car to head to Sheffield

Upon arrival in Sheffield I had two very excited girls who realised we were here to see Disney On Ice. My eldest is currently going through a phase of conflicting emotions. She still gets excited but is not sure how to express it as she wants to appear grown up. It is resulting in some very teenager like emotions! I can tell though she was excited as she tried to act cool!

We were sat right at the top of the arena so I did not get many photos, but this did not deter from the enjoyment of the show. This Disney On Ice broke away from the traditional format where we visit many different characters and see a snippet of each show, and instead focused on Frozen.

At the start of the show we were treated to a performance by a variety of the Disney characters before the main show began. The main show telling the story of Frozen, which both girls know off by heart.

Having watched Disney On Ice before my girls both asked when the show finished 'Where the other stories are?'. They were both expecting other stories as per the original Disney On Ice format, and my eldest was a little disappointed it was only frozen. My youngest however accepted that it was the whole Frozen story instead of part of it. Personally Disney on Ice was still as entertaining with the focus on one show than on multiple stories but my preference would be to have the previous format as I feel it offers more in terms of excitement for the children as they try to spot their favourite character.

Even though the format was different and perhaps not what the girls were expecting they both enjoyed the performance and left with big smiles on their faces!

This day I love a tale of two cities

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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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