So whats new exactly?  What do the Classic³ have that the Classic² did not?

Well, firstly there is now an additional customisation option.  Whereas with the Classic² you could customise ‘only’ the frames and lenses, you’re now able to customise the Sungod logo colour on the arms of the Classic³.  A neat little option, adding yet more options to exactly how the sunglasses can be tailored to your individual tastes.

The biggest change, or upgrade, however is the move from metal screwed hinges to Sungods new Pop-Lock™ screw less hinges.  Fewer parts to worry about, no metal to rust or screws to lose.  This is a win.

Lastly there’s some awesome new packaging.  Rather than the older cardboard box type packaging, there’s now a nicely branded case, with magnetic seal.  Another win.

As with all of the different Sungods ranges, such as the Vanguard Snowboarding Goggles and Pacemaker sunglasses, the new Classics³ are fully customisable, from frame to lens to Sungod symbol.

With new custom options such as new colours, different lens types (polarised vs non), and even finishes (matt finish and tortoise shell for example) being added all the time, everyone can create their own personalised eyewear, to suit conditions and/or tastes.

… just be warned that there are a LOT of options and combinations.

• Light weight – just 28g
  • 56mm Wide
  • 18mm Bridge
  • 135mm Arm length

• 100% UVA + UVB protection
  • exceeding EN ISO 12312-1:2013 (CE), and
  • ANSI Z80.3 (FDA) standards.

• SunGod 4K Optics® Polycarbonate lenses with impact resistance.
  • Advanced polarised filter for enhanced optical clarity and precision (optional).
• Triple-layer scratch resistant coating + anti-reflective inner lens coating.

• Covered by the SunGod Lifetime Guarantee.
  • If your Sungod frames break at any point, Sungod will replace them free of charge!

Hash tag #Adventureproof.

Adventureproof® flexible frame material, can be flexed without snapping or showing signs of any stress, and always returning to their original shape.

• High-tensile, durable and lightweight for all day wear.
• Pop-Lock™ screwless hinges.
• Cool matte finish, which stay in place not matter where you’re soaking wet or boiling hot.

The Custom Classics³, as with the Classic² and all other Sungod style frames, are #Adventureproof. meaning that should they break (or more likely, YOU break them), Sungod will replace your frames. Super-duper flexible frames, which are also scratch proof btw, make for a robust pair of sunnies.

So i’m still a full time 4 eyes, and am still oober protective over my prescription sunglasses which are really quite handy (read: imperative) for driving.  So wearing the prescription number when on a glacier, or mountain biking etc is a still a no no.  I need that second pair, which are more robust and up to a challenge.

Now Sungod do not offer prescription lenses, and so to state the obvious my Custom Classics³ are not prescription, but they do created the perfect foil to my sunglasses which I rely on for driving in the sun, reading etc.

The Custom Classics³ retail from £45 – £70 per pair, depending upon whether you want polarised lenses or not.

Blue flagged, patrolled by lifeguards, and generally believed to be a great option for families with young children.

Upon our visit there was a lot of seaweed in the shallows, but once you swam out past the first metre of so the waters because a lovely clear type blue.

Temp wise the water was erm fresh (cold) at first touch, but you soon Adjust.

Back on the beach the sands are clean and safe. Very little by the way of rubbish or even ciggy buts were found away from the designated bin areas.

There are free toilet and changing facilities, although a limited number, and subbed rental is also available. Prices seemed steep to me, but I’ll let you be the judge.

All in all Punta Prima’s beach was a massive selling point for us, and proved to live up to the reputation of being excellent for young families.

A 2 min walk from the beach will lead you directly to 3 or 4 restaurants, all advertising locally caught fresh fish among other more catered items (omelettes for the less adventurous Brits). We didn’t try all of the eating establishments admittedly, but of the best we tried, we paid 45 euro for a MASSIVE Paella.

Two small supermarkets adjacent to the teach. A Dr’s 5 mins walk from the beach.

If you’re self catering and want more choice food wise, there is a Lidl closer to Mahon.

Not sure what else you need really.

Aside from the beach and pool, walking, water sports and tours, and day trips to the Mahon or Binibeca are where it’s at.

Waking wise, there is a path which stretches all the way around Menorca, going by the name of Cami de Cavalls.

Water sports wise there is stand up paddle boarding and sea kayaking. Is the winds pick up Punta Prima can also offer do surfing (although I didn’t see a rental shop of lessons advertised.

Throughout the summer and anywhere you go, boat tours, such as Hudson valley boat tours, are incredibly popular, and can be arranged to include fishing for your super.

Another water ‘sport’ (but I’d a stretch this one) swimming and riding the tubes down the road at Splash World.

If you’d rather stick to dry land, a visit to Binbecca is a nice way to spent an afternoon. Grab the tourist ‘ting ting’ train from the beach, and in 15-30 mins you’ll arrived at the white washed architectural marvel that is Binibecca.

If you fancy going further afield, the capital Mahon is a mere 20 mins by public bus. In Mahon you can shop, take a tour of the gun distillery, take a cruise around the harbour or simply people watch.

So one of the nice things about Punta Prima is the transfer time from the airport, 20-30 mins by bus, or probably 10-15 mins if you have your own car.Despite being so close, I do not believe Punta Prima is on a flight path, and so there was no airport type noise pollution.

It’s a small place as I’ve already mentioned, but it’s fairly well connected to the rest of the South/East of the island.

So what’s the deal with travelling with an infant for the first time? How on earth do I go about this? Balancing flight times and nap times, how little man would deal with his ears popping on the flight, the logistics of breast feeding on a plane, baby skin care in the hot sunshine, balcony safety at the hotel … dear god there’s so much to think about and attempt to negate.

Firstly, let me clarify that by infant I mean 0-2 years old. From 2-16 our offspring become ‘child’ fares according to the airlines, and different rules, fares etc apply.  Secondly, let me clarify where I’m coming from and what travelling with an infant felt like such a massive deal for me.

For the past decade, travel has been my thing, my passion, where all my money and time was spent.  Then chickpea came along, and all that changed.

For years I boarded countless flights As someone praying that I wouldn’t end up sat next to a screaming child.  Well, the shoe is now firmly on the other foot. I am the parent of the scream enabled child, praying that my girlfriend and I do not become labelled as those parent who couldn’t control their child and ruined everyones flight. Fun times! … But now that I’ve worn that shoe, I can only accept that my previous attitude was totally brattish and selfish. Of course parents deserve a break, more so than any young (ish) backpacker wanting to write a travel blog does. I see it now, and can appreciate it.  Douchebag I was.

I should also add that I write this post now as a new dad, who is not only repenting for past sinful attitudes, but also as a new dad who is not only a pessimist, but who also has with a history of anxiety. In short, whilst I’m quote happy to go off exploring new places and ways of life on a budget, I am also quite highly strung when it comes to home life, and generally spend my time waiting for something go wrong, so if the below is written in a slightly fearful and negative tone I ask you please indulge my awful and complex (sometimes contradictory) personality.

So hopefully you’ll now understand that I love travel, and love my son, and I want my son to love travel as much as I do, but taking him overseas for the first time was terrifying, as I was just waiting for something to go wrong.  Got it?

OK, enough waffle from me, let’s begin. Here goes my experience of travelling with an infant for the first time. Beginning at the very start … because starting anywhere else is just silly.

So where to go when travelling with your infant for the first time?  Do you go big on the first attempt, or play it safe?

Somewhat predictably we went with option numero two and played it safe, choosing a relatively short flight time of 2.5 hours – Fromm London to Menorca.

Bear in mind though, just because the flight time is short, doesn’t mean its still not a days worth of travel for the little one.  Our flight was at 7am but that meant rising at 3am, and we didn’t make it to our hotel until some 11 hours later.  He was cream crackered.

Truth be told we actually sought out not only a destination closer to home, but paid a little more for ‘better’ flight times, but more about the flight later.

Another thing to consider with destination choices is whether visa’s will be required.  Again we chose somewhere close and in the EU on account of no additional reading and paperwork being required. And you can also find great static caravans for sale online so that you can get your own static caravan.

Now this is 2 fold.
A) what time of year (destination depending)
B) when you child is x months old

To be honest I thought we’d nailed the first. We went for the first week on October, on account of it being outside of the school holidays (cheaper, less crowded etc), but also with the hope of that big burning ball of gas up in the sky hanging around and dishing out a bit of vitamin D love.

I was lovely for the first couple of days, but then the winds picked up and it got a bit chilly. Of course that’s the risk you take when travelling late on in the season, and luckily we had packed some warm clothing for the evenings anyway.

The other part of the ‘timing’ equation could have been better admittedly. Having just learned to crawl and being well on the way to walking, our little man was keen to explore every nook and cranny of the resort we were staying in. Every sharpe, jagged, dangerous inch of the place. In turn we were all go, chasing him down, making sure he stayed up right, spotting anything dangerous ahead of time. It was exhausting to tell you the truth.

At dinner on the first night we both agreed this would have been a lot lot easier a month or so ago when little man wasn’t quite there with independent movement of the crawling kind.

Just something to think about. Getting both aspects of the ‘timing’ equation would be the jackpot.

So you know where you want to go, but you’re going to need that little red book to enable to little one to pass go at customs.

It’s laughable really on that you have to somehow take a reasonable pic of your little one – plain background, no shadow, no movement, straight face where possible – so to have it last for the next 5 years, despite the fact that your child will look so different within the next 6 months, let alone 5 years. Seriously, what do the passport controllers even do with baby passports?

View this post on Instagram

It has arrived Little man going international ✈️ #firstpassport

A post shared by Neil Barnes (@goaskyourmum) on Jul 25, 2018 at 11:20pm PDT

Ok, so you have a booking and passports. Now to pack.

Typically I was always a light packer. Determined to fit all of what o needed in hand luggage, save have to check a bag and then wait around the carousel for it at the other end. The cost of checked luggage was always a big turn off too.

This time around checked luggage was included in our package holiday, a whopping 22kg each for the Mrs and I. It seemed a lot, but we managed to use up 90% of the allowance , and even bought along a lightweight buggy for good measure.

A large part of the 44kg + hand luggage consisted of the following …>

• Nappies
• Wipes
• Swim nappies
• Baby food
• Toys
• Lotions and potions (inc medicine)

… and then there was his clothes, and the Mrs cloths, and finally a zip pocket to squeeze my weeks worth of clothes into. I got on the plane looking like Joey from Friends when we wears everything chandler owns … I wore pants though FYI.

The alarm buzzed at something silly like 2am. On the drive to the airport there were still people coming home from nights out in town … that used to be me once upon a time … in a galaxy far far away, when I was able, and didn’t have this dad bod.

Anyway, it was early and getting little man into the car with all the bags was no small task we made it though and for the most part it was easier than i expected.

When travelling with an infant for the first time, the flying probably sticks out as being the most difficult part. The reality of our experience was that it went ok. There we tears, but tears of tiredness rather than fear or being uncomfortable. Tears of tiredness I can now easily recognise, and know that in just a few mins I can rock little man off to the land of nod. Of course I still did the British thing and apologised to everyone in sight, but yeah a small victory.

Whether such a victory would have been had had we chosen a destination much further away I’m not so sure. We started small on purpose, from London to the Balearics. We toyed with Ireland to see family, but then despised we wanted it to be just the 3 of us, but still looked for a family friendly location whereby if there was an emergency, language was unlikely to be much of a barrier, likewise we knew we’d most likely be able to get hold of some branded/gold quality baby products if we ran out.

A 2.5 hour flight seemed just about right. A stretch of our parenting skills, but not an impossible test.

With regards to arrangements on board. We managed to get seats together without paying any extortionate fees – although the airline did try it – this made things a lot lot easier to share the load. We also managed to get window and middle seats, so with the mRs ticked up against the window and my dad bod forming a flabby and formidable shield, we were actually able to feed little man quite easily. The window itself was nice distraction for little mr too.

Flight survived, now from airport to resort.

I honestly could find so little about transfer arrangements that in the end we just decided to wing it. We toyed with lugging our car seat on the flight (what’s one more thing to carry ‍♂️) but ultimately decided against it, in case the baggage handlers decided to test its crash impact functionalities, and managed to render it useless.

The transfer was only 20 mins – another thing to consider, and we purposely chose somewhere with a short transfer time – but that’s not the point, and accident could have occurred at any point and I’m somewhat amazed holiday operators don’t have stricter regulations in place for the transfer of infants and children.

When Hiring a car of course you’ll demand a baby seat included, but how you guarantee it’s quality, and whether you can get an iso fix base I’m unsure. Either cart your own seat over there, or again you take the risk that the car hire company is reputable and employs high quality standards.

Being half board, 2 meals a day we’re sorted.

Our hotel provided decent chairs and the selection of food on offer was enough to keep us all happy.

We did wonder about whether the fruit would be OK for little mr, especially as there were an annoying amount of flies buzzing about. In the end decided to go for it, and it actually became a really good intro to some new tastes and textures – at the expense of someone else’s walls and floors.

Not sure there’s much else to add here to be honest. We did take our own bibs, spoons and backup food pouches, which were for the most part utilised, and we’re glad we took them.

Tempted to write ‘N/A’ here to be honest, travelling with an infant for the first time was not an experience I found overly relaxing.

Yeah so this is the part where I sound super spoilt and ungrateful, but a whilst our little holiday was lovely, I don’t think I could call it relaxing.

With so many unknowns and little mans sleep schedule all over the shop – on account of getting up at 2am to catch our flight – a lot of time was spent making sure he was entertained, fed, or somewhere safe to sleep.

Days at the beach we’d become accustomed go over the years became just a few hours at the beach, for returning to the cool and sanctity of the room for a nap was a must.

Sleeping around the pool was a no no. Firstly because we had to keep an eye of little mans wanderings (HSE people!!), and secondly because his energy and wanting to be entertained at all times wouldn’t allow for it.

I should add here however that our little boy is super active, super dipper active. He does not sit still. Even at a month old he was arms and legs all over the shop. Sleep was, and still is something to be fought on his mind (we on the other handle welcome sleep like it where a gift from above). So the relaxing part of this post is highly unlikely to be a one size fits all type experience.

I think the above about does it and covers my experience of travelling with an infant for the first time. In short, travelling with an infant for the first time is quite daunting, and has the potential to be quite tricky, but if a anxious control freak like me can manage it, I dare say almost any parent could.

Go forth, travel, enjoy it!!

Yes you heard that correctly, the Sungod Vanguards offer 20% more vision.

20%!

Seriously, these are an epic new range bought to you by Sungod.  As a big fan of their Revolts goggles (comparison below), I was super excited to receive my new Vanguards and experience this greater range of vision, and not to mention all their other great features.

Now all that remains is for me to hit the slopes, and for you to read the remainder of this post, which includes a chance (or two) to win a pair of the new Sungod Vanguards. Sweet!

What’s fun about uniform colours and styles? … the answer – not a whole lot.

Bright, unique colours for one make you easily identifiable to your chums on the slopes. but they also make you look awesome!

As with the Revolts, the new Sungod Vanguards have a serious number of options to choose from when customising your perfect pair of goggles …

• 3 Frame colours
• 6 Lens colours
• 15 Strap colours/designs

… OK so that 1 less frame colour than the Revolts, but 5(!) additional strap colours/designs.

Big pictures though, thats over 1000 different potential designs.

While the majority of mountain images you see on the web show bright white slopes glistening under beaming sunshine, the reality is that not every day on the mountain is a perfect day. Fog (see my post on snowboarding in Slovenia – Krvavec for evidence of serious fog), heavy cloud, those overcast days.  The weather at 2000m above sea level is certainly changeable your current set of goggles might not be set up to deal with certain conditions.

Here’s where the customisation element of Sungod goggles, including the Vanguards, come into their own, by allowing you to switch out the different lenses and therefore put yourself in a better, and safer, position to be able to deal with the days conditions.

As above, there are 6 different options:

Here’s a quick look at a full list of Sungod Vanguards features.

• Super-flexible and lightweightTPU frames that forms to your face.
• Triple layer, triple density foam that offers snug protections against wind and snow.
• Active anti-fog vents.
• 100% UVA + UVB protection exceeding EN ISO 12312-1:2013 (CE) and ANSI Z80.3 (FDA) standards.
• SunGod 4K Optics®snow Polycarbonate dual layer spherical lens with impact resistance.
• Advanced lens construction that enhances contrast and optimises clarity.
• Triple-layer scratch resistant coating + anti-reflective inner lens coating.
• Easy-switch lens system.
• Grip Lock silicon-backed strap for a secure non-slip fit.
• Covered by the SunGod Lifetime Warranty!

To compare the new Sungod Vanguards with the older Revolts model would make a lot of sense, and was something I had planned, but when someones already beat you to it, and beat you well, you just have to hold your hands up.  That the person who beat me to it is a friend who run their own wicked awesome blog, AND is the person who introduced me to Sungods products in the first place, I feel it only right to shine the spotlight on them in this instance.

May I present to you, Simon from adventurebagging.co.uk, and his brilliant comparison video.

Kudos Simon.

The big question, the one you’ve most likely had lingering for the past 5 minutes whilst reading this review – assuming you didn’t just skip straight to this part.

How much do the new Sungod Vanguards cost?

The answer … £110 per customised pair 

Yes this is an increase on the Revolts, but as per all of the above, the Vanguards are a development on the Revolts, dare I say an improved model. Plus you also get a storage pouch and stickers for that price too.

… AND, because your Vanguards are over the £100 threshold, shipping is FREE too.

As with the Revolts, additional frames, lenses, straps and cases can be purchased at additional cost, but ignoring those for the time being lets just take a minute to appreciate that the Sungod Vanguards still represent great value, and still come in cheaper than most other top spec and top brand goggles, which hover closer to the £150 mark, but which are NOT customisable.

Of course its up to you guys, but as a self proclaimed budget travel and someone who is always a bit careful with the purse (wallet) strings, I feel as though the £110 is a decent looking price for what you get with the Vanguards.  Not cheap granted, but certainly value!

Hopefully you’re still reading, and havent already splashed out the £110 for a pair of new Vanguards, because before you do, why not try to win a pair for free? Yep, FREE!!

Simply click on my special link below, fill out the required details, and then you’re in with a shot of winning.

This Sungods ‘competition’ is odds based, there is no end date or question to answer, you just have to be the lucky one who gets picked at random by their system.  Even if you don’t win first time around, by sharing the competition details you’ll receive a second chance. Nice!

Click the link, you have nothing to loose and everything (goggles and glasses) to gain.

Good luck!

Img source: https://www.arcido.com

• Total Capacity: 35L
• Weight: 900g
• Dimensions: 55 x 35 x 20 cm

The above means that the Arcido Faroe currently qualifies as hand luggage for the following airlines, and potentially more.

RRP £120, but currently marked down by £30 to …

You can buy the Arcido Faroe riiiiiiight ….

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HERE

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As overly dramatic as that opening as that opening paragraph reads, said adventure is all in place, so to speak, and also hopefully explains as to why I have written (blogged) not one word around travel since this article on Santiago de Compostela.

This new adventure is long in the making and has required a lot of research and prep, and there is still much more to do in the remaining 3 months before it all begins.  It’s an adventure of a lifetime, quite literally.

So where am I off to?

Nowhere … well, the hospital down the road, but essentially nowhere.

And this is why …

Everyone, meet our mini work of art. Affectionately known as ‘Chickpea’, for now.

Chickpea because that’s how big he (it’s a boy btw) was when my better half waved her pee stick in front of my face at 6am on the morning of my 33rd birthday. Chickpea, so so small, but equally amazing and precious.

Little Chickpea, who will hopefully enjoy exploring the wonders of this world as much as my better half and I have over the past 9 or so years … but obviously we’re hoping he doesn’t want to fly the nest for a good few years yet. If you also have a baby, it’s wise to learn every information, such as baby led weaning, to ensure that your baby grows healthily.

So yeah, while any travel for myself and the Mrs is currently on hold – July’s visit to Fuertaventura (and April’s trip to Dubai) was in fact a ‘baby moon’. You might have seen a bit so subtle hint on my Instagram – the greatest adventure I could ever hope to go on is just around the corner, the adventure into fatherhood.

Eeek!

Pool day with my two favourite people.

A post shared by Neil Barnes (@packsandbunks) on Jul 28, 2017 at 2:53am PDT

So there it is,  and while a lot of you guys are still no doubt posting the below and preaching travel, I’m to become one of those friends.  But i’m totally cool with it, in fact I’m buzzing about it,  about swapping Keywords and SEO for nappies, rusks (Mmmm ) and putting oversized sunglasses on my little lads face for amusing photography purposes.

This is not to say I’ve given up on travel and blogging altogether, but of course things will slow down around these parts for a while come Xmas.  I’d like to think that once little man is a bit more developed and robust, that I can take he and his mother to some of my favourite spots i n the UK, the Isle of Wight for example.  I personally cannot see myself flying with a baby, but jumping in our new motor and taking a road trip certainly isn’t out of the question.

Looking further into the future I’d love it if the little fella found enjoyment in snow sports i.e. I’d love to take him skiing/snowboarding.  We’ll see, but for now it’s time to spend some time at home and enjoy this particular journey.

Who knows, maybe I’ll end up starting a dad blog, or even more terrifying, a dad vlog.

Adventureproof, i.e. flexible but no snapping, or signs of stress to the frames.  Great news from both a looks point of view, but also a safety one (no shards of broken plastic to go flying anywhere and everywhere).

Controlled Airflow

The design of the Pacebreaker frame has been optimsied to eliminate fogging, and to keep to your face cool, even when stationary. No getting all puffed out and red faced under those lenses.

Snap Lock Hinges

The Pacebreakers are either opened or closed, owing to their precision moulded snap lock hinges.  With no in-between this leaves you able to go one handed with putting the Pacebreakers on.

Grip Lock Ear Socks

Manufactured from a hydrophillic material, the grip of the ear socks only increases under sweat, therefore ensuring non slip even in the most testing conditions, whilst not becoming uncomfortable on your ears.

Interchangeable, precision lenses, engineered from an infused 2mm Polcarbonate Core.

The Pacebreakers 4KO lenses have been designed to offer enhanced contrast and optimum clarity under all different conditions, intensity or terrain.  To that end there is a range of colours, all of which offer 100% UV protection, but which also have different visible light transmission (VLT) percentages, and so perform best in different conditions, from bright and sunny to overcast and rainy.

The performance of the Pacebreakers are also enhanced by their extended field of view, no obstructed peripheral version here.

So my new Sungod Pacebreakers arrived last Friday, and as of Saturday morning I was sporting them as I lined up for my (almost) weekly ParkRun.

I do not own any other sports sunglasses, and so this was new for me.  I already have quite a lot of running equipment, what with wireless headphones, sweat bands, IT support band, sports armband, and now added to that lot, my sungod pacebreakers.  Overkill on the equipment front?

Aside from stunningly coloured 4KO lens, the weight and the snap lock hinges were and instant hit.  The grip of the ear socks and nose piece also gave me confidence that the pacebreakers wouldn’t be falling off at any point in the next 30 mins, save me taking a taking a tumble and falling ass over face.

During the run, I didn’t really notice my new eyewear, which is kind of the point I guess.  The only time during the 5km trail where I became aware of the was when I was attempting to keep myself ahead of my target pacer, who was running right on my shoulder.  The extended field of peripheral vision, which would have been obstructed if I was wearing any of my other sunglasses.

All in all, the new Sungod Pacebreakers definitely aided my race.  I didn’t break any PB’s admittedly (a month off doesn’t exactly help form), but I did improve on my time from the previous Thursday evenings run, and in harsher, hotter and sunnier conditions.

With the ability to customise and add premium features, such as polarised lenses, means that there are different cost tariffs for the Sungod Pacebreakers.  Here’s a rough guide, but I think you’re best best is to simply visit the Sungod Pacebreakers page and have a play with the different customisation options. The cost of your perfect pair will be displayed on screen.

Full Pairs:

• Non-Polarised Full Pair  £60
• Polarised Full Pair  £85

Spares/Additional:

• Non-Polarised Lenses  £30
• Polarised Lenses  £55
• Ear Socks   £8

Shop here – SUNGOD PACEBREAKERS

Now who doesn’t love Summer? What more of a reason to celebrate than getting to feel the warmth of that big flaming ball in the sky, and in turn experience a bit of Vitamin D after months and months of cold, wind and rain I.e the English weather most of the time.

Don’t get me wrong, winter is cool too. If you’ve ever read my Blog before you may have gathered that I am quite the fan of the snow and snowboarding, but while those white mountain pistes are oh so alluring, I actually consider them more accessible than a sunny day in London, and so maybe cherish a proper summer that bit more.

Of course a ‘proper’ summer in the UK usually maxes out after around the 3 weeks mark, and that’s in a good year. Over in Spain though, the old currant bun appears in the sky a little more often, at you’d expect it to, and usually stays there for a duration.  When you know it’s coming and that it’s likely to stay that way for a while, summer becomes much easier to plan for, and in turn celebrate, and some of the best summer celebrations can be found in Santiago, Spain. 

Welcoming the sunshine and sizzling heat of summer requires only one thing, more heat. I jest, as a pale and delegate skinned Brit I can only handle so much heat before retreating to the shadows and proceeding to slap on copious amounts of aftersun. ‘Burnt under a light bulb’ is the phrase I believe.  

Not the people of Santiago de Compostela though, street parties complete with bonfires and BBQ’s are the preferred and traditional means of welcoming summer, tall and roaring bonfires, spread throughout the city and accessible via what I have named ‘the bonfire train’ (see below, it’s a real thing).

The people of Galacia and Santiago de Compostela celebrate the summer on the longest night, the night of San Juan.

Noche de San Juan – The night of San Xoan, or San Juan.

Aka the magical night of St. John.

Aka St John’s eve

Aka June 23rd.

Aka the longest day of the year. 

No matter how exactly it is referenced to, this is simply an incredible evening of celebration among a community which appears very tight knit.   Food, drink and music are shared, people dance and retail stories. It’s very heartwarming to bear witness to, and also very exciting as the music is faster rather than slower, meaning that the mood and spirits are upbeat, and everyone is in great spirits. Spirits high enough to consider jumping over bonfires a grand idea.   

So as you may have guessed from the above, fire plays a large part in the night of San Juan.

A symbol of summer, this sacred, protective and purifying element must be looked after and cared for, it should not be allowed to dwindle.

The influence of fire on the San Juan celebrations is quite clear.  The bonfires, or ‘cacharelas’, spread about the old town represent purity, and the local custom is to leap and bound over the fires so to embrace the magical power of fire, and ward of evil spirits and spells.

In order for the fire hoppers to reap the benefits of their efforts, they must leap over the cacharelas an odd number of times. Usually between 3 and 9 efforts will do the trick.

The smoke pouring from the fires and streetside BBQs is also believed to provide protect for both man and animal from evil.  Also the ashes from the fires is also sometimes kept to provide protection from adverse weather and business relations.

While stationed a safe enough distance from these roaring mounds (possibly with a beer in hand ;) ) I also noticed people throwing what appeared to be folded up pieces of paper into the flames.  Presumably jotted down on the pieces of paper were hopes, dreams and wishes for the future.  Either that or everyone was trying their best to enter the tri-wizard tournament, but I doubt it.

Fire as we all know is hypnotic, and as a sort of centre piece to the night celebrations I feel that the bonfire really helped define the event and give it greater meaning. Maybe it was because of the obvious dangers that fire can bring, and the resulting respect and consideration it is due.

H2O, the most essential of element for life.

During San Juan water is as of much importance as fire, evening if not so apparent in the celebrations.

During Noche de San Juan water is believed to be at its most powerful, more so than at any other point of the year, and come nightfall the water based rituals performed at local fountains and springs aid the locals in protecting their bodies and souls, while at at the same time washing away an illness or diseases.

Something to note though, these rituals and any drinking from the fountains must take place before midnight.  Why? Well the city’s fountains are said to play host to both fairies (aka mouras) and evil beings.  Drinking from a fountain before the clock strikes twelve will bring positive energy and well being via the fairies, but should you take water after midnight and the effects would be reversed, and you run the risk of being struck down ill, as you’d have disturbed the water whilst it was sleeping.

There is also a tradition of collecting water on the eve of San Juan, but not in buckets.  The collection of the nights dew is also seen as very important, as it is seen as purifying.  Locals leave out not only woolen clothes and bedsheets, but also the seven San Juan herbs …

1. Wood fern
2. Male fern
3. Laburnum
4. St Johns wort
5. Mallow
6. Rosemary, and
7. Lemon Verbena

Come morning, the sodden herbs will be used to wash oneself, with the aim of skin rejuvenation.

Santiago de Compostela is a university town, so its probably needless to say that the party goes on a while, all the way till dawn, but with good reason (not just because of booze)!

At dawn on June 24th, there is a traditional of finding an unobstructed view of the skyline, and watching the new sun and previous nights moon enjoy a short dance together, surrounded by all the worlds witches.

Whilst I didn’t make it all the way to dawn to partake in the watching of the sunrise, I can still give two big thumbs up to the Festas de San Juan.

The bonfires, music and BBQ were always going to be big hit with me, but the community spirit and general sense of joy and positivity was all too apparent as well.  The vibe along the cobbled streets of the UNESCO inducted old town was excellent, and if anything was missing from my experience, it was that I didn’t have anyone there with me to share in it.  Festivals on your tod maybe aren’t the one, but I still had a great time and would struggle not to recommend June 23rd as the best time to visit Galacia and Santiago de Compostela.

This guide has been created as a part of the #SpainCities project, whereby 9 fantastic bloggers, and myself, each travelled to 10 different cities across Spain to experience 48 incredible hours over the weekend of 23 and 25 June 2017.

If you want to know and see more of each of the cities covered, check out the below links to the other 9 awesome bloggers who went out in search of the best Spain has to offer.

• Segovia – Sabrina from Girl Vs Globe
• Cadiz – Chloe from Wanderlust Chloe
• Santander – Mark from The Common Wanderer
• Cacares – Nicola from Polkadot Passport
• Girona – Andrew from Along Dusty Roads
• Ovideo – Nienke from The Travel Tester
• Bilbao – Jessica from The Travelista
• Zaragoza – Ellie from The Wanderig Quinn
• Murcia – Emily from Emily Luxon Travels

… Also check out the hashtag on twitter #SpainCities and Instagram #SpainCities

travel to airport, board plane, snooze for a bit, land, collect bags. All pretty standard.

Making your way from the airport to the city centre is a relitively simple task, consisting of a 20 minutes cab ride, or a bus (3 Euro). I went with the cab option.

No matter which option you choose, my top tip at this point would be to either a) politely ask you cab driver to take you to Gozo monument first, or  b) get off the bus at San Marcos (depending upon how much luggage you have) and walk up the hill to visit the very same monument. Basically the view you get from atop the hill where the monument Resides is the same view of Santiago de Compostella which  the pilgrims of the Camino get to experience, and so many days on their feet. Being that It’s kinda of on your way to town, I would recommend taking in the views and spotting the 3 spires of Santiago.  

The Camino de Santiago (or in English, the Way of St James) is a network of pilgrimage routes, generally walked but also cycled, all which end with arrival at the shrine of the apostle St. James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

Reasons as to why someone might walk hundreds kilometres along one of the Camino routes varies, but typically include discovering something about oneself, spiritual reasons,  having suffered in some way and wanting to use the journey as a form of recovery and/or reflection.

The most popular route is the Camino Francés which extends a feet blistering 780 km (that’s roughly 500 miles) from St. Jean-Pied-du-Port near Biarritz (France) to Santiago de Compostela (Spain).

Along the different routes, pilgrims are guided along the way by an extensive series of yellow arrows which can be found on trees, sign posts, tiles, rocks/boulders etc, and accompanying Scallop Shells, but more on those later.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Camino, check out this post by Flora The Explorer – You Know You’ve Walked the Camino When…

Visiting the Monte de Gozo should keep you occupied up until evening time, when I recommend a little more walking, so to reach some of the more authentic restaurants in town. 

Rua de San Pedro is a road littered (in a good way) with mouthwatering tapas joints.  One such establishment called Amaceta is where I spent my Friday evening, scoffing town fresh bread, croquettes, prawns and steak, all while sitting out in their lovely garden.

Of course there’s always room and time for a quick night cap before bed. How about a LARGE Pomada (Gin), or bottle of Estrella in one of the towns squares to see out your first day in Santiago de Compostella?!

… unless it’s Saint John’s Eve (Noche de San Juan), in which case you’ll want to carry on walking some more, until you find one of the many bonfires which have been lit within the cities old town.  What happens after you find one of these bonfires? … Well, all will be explained in a separate blog post, but here’s a little clue.

Come Saturday morning and after a quick breakfast it’s market time. Head away from the tourist hotspots and down towards Mercado de Abastos, aka Santiago’s food market.

Admire the surrounding, and the fresh produce on sale at over 300 different market stalls. Home grown fruit, veg, bread, meats, fish and flowers appear to be the mainstays, but there is also some clothing and trinkets available. Make sure to visit Vessi to choose your favorite shoes and other accessories for your outfit. It’s quite probable that you won’t actually purchase anything (save maybe a pastry), but soak up the atmosphere of a market which first opened its doors(?) way back in 1873.

Probably best to do so before peak tourist time kicks in around midday.

Post market experience continue in a northerly direction and check out the CGAC (Galician Centre of Contemporary Art). First opened in 1993, it’s small centre, but free to enter, air conditioned, and upon my visit I found the exhibits to be really quite interesting.  Of course the exhibits will vary over time, so if you’re unsure whether it’ll be worth you time, maybe check the exhibitions schedule first.

Once you’ve had your fill of art, which I dare say won’t take any more than an hour, I’d say it’s time for lunch, as you must have worked up quite an appetite by now I imagine. 

For lunch my tastebuds would recommend that you mosey on back towards the food market and pitch up a Cafe de Altamira where the chefs do something amazing  with ribs and cocoa! It’s located just opposite the market.  Alternatively, if that’s not your thing, just rock up anywhere else which may take your fancy and enjoy all of the tapas, all of it!

Suitably stuffed, there may be a temptation to indulge in a siesta, but come on! … you’re only here for 48 hours, lets make the most of its and waddle around town a bit more.

Personally I started with a bit of shell spotting, remember I mentioned them earlier!?

OK so the thing with all the shells dotted all over Santiago is this, the Scallop Shell is symbol of the Santiago de Camino.  The story (or one of them) goes that the shell is a metaphor, and that the grooves/ridges represent the network of different Camino routes which can be walked to a single, final destination – Santiago de Compostela, and the tomb of Saint James.

As you wander through the winding streets of Santiago it is somewhat inevitable that at some point you’ll find your way to the giant Cathedral, and to all of the other beautiful, intrinsic and towering structures which Santiago gifts to you.

At this point you’d do well to actually watch where you’re going, and no doubt your neck will begin to ache having looked skywards for so much of your afternoons exploration, fore those stunning specimens of sky scraping architecture are really quite difficult to take your eyes off of.

The details in the decorations and carved faces staring back down at you are so detailed and life-like that they’re almost hypnotic, seriously they draw you in. OK that may sound a little OTT, but believe me, when you too set eyes on these incredible structure I dare you not to be awe struck like I was. 

For clarity I’m talking about …

• The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
• Plaza del Obradoiro
• Palacio de Raxoi and Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos
• Plaza de la Quintana
• Palacio de Raxoi
• Fuente de Los Caballos
• San Martin Pinario Monastery

All of the above are within easy reach of one another, and all worth spending some time within/taking in.  The walk really is very easy and you’ll more than likely find your own way without too much trouble.  However, should you want a bit more detail and/or love a bit of pre trip research, check out this Monumental City walking route put together by the Tourism Board of Santiago de Compostela.  They also have a cool photography route too. 

Back to the cathedral quickly.  Built back in the 1300’s and currently (2017) undergoing extensive renovations to it’s exterior, I think it’s just worth mentioning that it is free to enter the cathedral, and you’ll want to because a) it’s simply stunning and drenched in gold, and b) the famous Botafumeiro! It is incredible, both inside and out,  but when inside please be careful with taking photos etc, as more than likely a service will be going on around you, so be aware and respectful. 

I believe it is also possible to gain access to the roof of the cathedral for a small fee, although upon my visit I did not find such ‘tours’ to be taking place.  This could have been due to the renovation work.  A reason to return at least :D

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

San Martin Pinario Monastery

San Martin Pinario Monastery

Plaza de la Quintana

Palacio de Raxoi

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

With lunch fully digested and a couple thousand more steps racked up on your fitbit, now may be the time to search out a slightly greener part of town and experience the tranquil paths and fountains of Alameda Park.

The origins of Alameda Park date back to the mid 16th century when the grounds were donated to the city by the Counts of Altamira.  Today it is best known for it’s relaxing vibe, great oak trees, fountains, and magnificent views the old town’s red roofs and of course, it’s cathedral.

Personally I was quite taken with the fountains, but was also quite happy to sit along the main promenade and listen to a group of locals break into chorus.  It really is a great place to unwind after a days exploration, and also a decent spot for an ice cream!

AND be sure to visit this guy, Ramón María del Valle Inclán, a renowned author and potentially the original hipster!?  I jest, amazing beard though!

As the sun begins to dissappear and evening draws in, you’ll not doubt want to nip back to your hotel/hostel/apartment and spruce up a bit. It is Saturday night after all.  

If hunger strikes, I can recommend restaurante El Papatorio for exceptional tapas.  OMG, some of the food these guys served up! …  baked cheese with jam, delightful mini burgers, peppered steak cutlets, battered cod, slice tuna steak, and of course patatas bravas (I devoured those before I even thought to take a photo tbh).  To wash that down I enjoyed ginger ice cream with strawberries.

Delicious!

Being a university town the nightlife scene in Santiago is far from dull. There are bars all over the place, and whether you like a nice glass of wine in an open square, or a large cerveza in the back of a dive bar, Santiago has you covered. 

I chose the cerveza option, but not before stumbling upon a small orchestral performance taking place just in front of the fountain de Los Caballos.  The steps up to the cathedral became VIP seating for the evening, as a small (ish) crowd gathered to enjoy a musical end to their Saturday evening.

Come Sunday morning and your time in Santiago is sadly coming to a close :( #sadface

Depending upon your flight time you may just be able to squeeze in a trip to the museum of the pilgrims (free entry), or maybe a spot of last minute shopping, but otherwise you’ll be on your way to the airport.

Sad times.

The airport itself is really small.  You may have noticed already, but if not I dare say that arriving 3 hours before your flight is due to depart would be excessive, and you’ll quickly run out of shop and cafe.

Just be sure to pick yourself up a fridge magnet to add to the collection. There is no better memento.

Santiago is a city which is easy to get around on foot, or at least it is if you’re fresh from the airport, those who’ve walked xxxx miles over previous weeks to reach this point may not willingly agree with me, and that’s understandable, but my point is that all of Santiago’s goodness is condensed with a fairly small space. My 45k worth of steps over my 48 hours, as logged on my fitbit, are a testament to this, and I even took plenty of breaks for beers and tapas breaks!

The ease at which you can explore Santiago of course makes it perfect for a small break i.e. a weekend or any 48 hour period (because other days of the week are available).

While the climate is warmer than Blight (normally, but not during June heatwaves), it’s not so hot that you dare not remove yourselves from the shadows. At the time of my visit, the temperature ranged between a pleasant 24-26°C. 

The locals as you can imagine are somewhat used to foreigners walking into town. They are extremely friendly and very accommodating. Language wise I would have to say that outside of the Main streets you may have to use a bit of Spanish to get by, but if I can manage it, you certainly can. 

I also felt very comfortable walking the streets of Santiago. While beautiful, late at night I could understand a certain nervousness felt walking through small, dark, twisting alleys, but honestly I felt more than comfortable, and never in any danger. That extends to my possession. While I really love Spain, cities such as Barcelona and Madrid have issue with pick pocketing, it’s sad but a fact. Santiago may we’ll have some instances of the same, but I couldn’t particularly sense it, and never really worried too much about my phone or wallet leaving my pockets by any hands other than my own.

Inside the old town you’ll find an abundance of tourist trinket shops, as to be expected, but the bars and restaurants all appeared to be independently owned, or at least I didn’t recognise any chains. The only recognisable chain/brand I saw was  a single Burger King on the edge of town. 

Any hotel within the old town should be considered to be well located. I personally stayed in the Hotel Compostela which was just on the edge of town. It suit my needs perfectly and was very comfortable.

Obvious euros, but most  bars and small restaurants appeared to prefer to deal in cash. Visa/MasterCard are accepted for the most part.

Cash points (ATM) are also fairly abundant. Just watch those exchange rates, OR get yourself a Monzo Pre paid MasterCard and be done with withdrawal charges and terrible exchange rates. 

Santiago was a great weekend break destination. The flight time from London was just under 2 hours, the transfer time is around 20 minutes. 

Pssst, check out my discounts and offers page for a 10% saving on airport parking and hotels ;) 

This guide has been created as a part of the #SpainCities project, whereby 9 fantastic bloggers, and myself, each travelled to 10 different cities across Spain to experience 48 incredible hours over the weekend of 23 and 25 June 2017.

If you want to know and see more of each of the cities covered, check out the below links to the other 9 awesome bloggers who went out in search of the best Spain has to offer.

• Segovia – Sabrina from Girl Vs Globe
• Cadiz – Chloe from Wanderlust Chloe
• Santander – Mark from The Common Wanderer
• Cacares – Nicola from Polkadot Passport
• Girona – Andrew from Along Dusty Roads
• Ovideo – Nienke from The Travel Tester
• Bilbao – Jessica from The Travelista
• Zaragoza – Ellie from The Wanderig Quinn
• Murcia – Emily from Emily Luxon Travels

… Also check out the hashtag on twitter #SpainCities and Instagram #SpainCities