SPAIN, Cabo Roig: Photo Journal

I've only been back from Spain just over a week and I'm already getting withdrawal symptoms.. Cold, cloudy, rainy England isn't quite the same!

My week in Cabo Roig, Spain didn't consist of doing an awful lot, just soaking up the sun and going to the beach! But sometimes holidays like that are ideal, and this certainly was.

I will soon post a bit more about the area of Cabo Roig and why it's great for a cheap and relaxing holiday. But in the meantime, here are some of my favourite photos to show you how beautiful and sunny it is...

Thank you for looking through this post, I hope you enjoyed seeing all my little holiday snaps! If you've been to Cabo Roig before, or perhaps Torrevieja as seen in some of my photos, please let me know in the comments :-)

ALSO if you are lucky enough to have been to Split in Croatia, please let me know and give me any tips as I am going there in a few weeks time!

York: Things to do this Easter!

Fancy free family fun and all things covered in chocolate? Look no further than my favourite city – York this Easter! There’s so much going on in York over the Easter break and holiday weekend that as a volunteer at Visit York, I felt the need to let people know about all of the egg-citing Easter events and activities that are taking place. (No more puns included, so please continue reading…)

CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL

Easter would not be complete without chocolate, so what better place to go than York, the home of chocolate! York holds a long history and legacy in chocolate making with the likes of Rowntree, Terry’s and now Nestle, so the city withholds plenty of chocolatier experts!
Find even more details about the festival here: http://www.yorkchocolatefestival.co.uk/ 

Chocolate market:
14^th-17^th April – St. Sampson’s Square
A chocolate market will be held showcasing different chocolatiers from around the city, where you can try some tasters and take away your own sweet treats. Workshops and demonstrations will also take place for all to enjoy!

York’s Chocolate Story:
‘A Cracking Chocolate Adventure’
From 8^th April – King’s Square
York’s Chocolate Story offers a fully guided tour through the history of chocolate in York, with the new exhibition and tour ‘A Cracking Chocolate Adventure’ uncovering what Easter used to be like in the chocolate city! Fun and interesting for all the family! I recently visited myself and loved the whole experience. Who wouldn’t enjoy making your own chocolates and getting an abundance of tasters as you go round?!
Prices: I advise you book in advance so you’re not disappointed!
Adults £11.50, students/senior £10.50, children age 5-15 £9.50, family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children) £32.50
https://www.yorkschocolatestory.com/ 

See what flavours you can taste when you eat your chocolate tasters!

Go through the motions of creating chocolate with this interactive station!

Find out all about the history of Terry's!

Make and decorate your own chocolate lollies!

York Cocoa House:

Chocolate truffle and chocolate bar making, Easter egg decorating and more
From 2^nd April (see online for specific dates for each masterclass) – York Cocoa House
Be shown how to professionally create chocolate truffles or chocolate bars, and have a go at making some yourself! There are lots of different master classes going on at the Cocoa House over the Easter period, so make sure to take a look at their website to decide which one to do!
Prices: Book in advance to avoid disappointment!
Adults £17.50, children £12.50, £55.00 for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children)https://www.yorkcocoahouse.co.uk/

Lord Mayor’s Chocolate Trail:
14^th-17^th April – City centre
Follow a chocolate themed trail around the city centre, following the history of chocolate in York. Solve puzzles, follow the map and find chocolate themed destinations along the way, and even receive a treat once completed! (Get your treat at the Chocolate festival market, on St. Sampson’s Square.) All money raised goes to the Lord Mayor’s chosen charities: St. Nick’s, York Racial Equality Network, York Civic Trust and York LGBT Forum.
Prices: Pick up a trail card for £3 per person from the Visit York visitor information centre, 1 Museum Street.

Castle Museum’s chocolate exhibition:
‘Chocolate: York’s Sweet Past’
From 1^st April – York Castle Museum
Head over to the Castle Museum for an interactive tour about the evolution of chocolate in York. Take a look in the mini chocolate factory for workshops and taster sessions to try all the sweet treats and make some of your own, including your own Easter basket! Follow round the exhibition and explore original adverts and packaging for our favourite sweets and chocolates. This is one not to be missed and will be great for children!
Prices: Adults £10, children under 16 free with an adult’s ticket, free with a YMT card.
https://www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/

LITTLE VIKINGS ACTIVITY TENT

Take your own little Vikings over to the activity tent on Parliament Street, where they can enjoy Easter crafts, drama, face painting and many more activities! Over the Easter weekend (17^th-19^th) there will also be a sand art activity for children of all ages to get involved with and make their own sculptures. Taster rugby and ballet classes will be held also! Plenty of free fun for the family!
See the Little Viking’s helpful website for more on what to do in York with children: https://little-vikings.co.uk/
Parliament Street, 7^th-24^th April, FREE

FUN FAIR

There will be a mini fun fair for the little ones to enjoy! This will conclude a carousel, roundabout and tea cups. A petting zoo will also be here with a tractor from Ripon farm, donkeys, guinea pigs, alpacas and many more furry friends!
Parliament Street, 10^th-23^rd April

JORVIK CENTRE RE-OPENING

The well-known Viking Jorvik Centre was sadly flooded in the York floods Boxing Day 2015. But the Vikings are returning on April 8^th! The Jorvik Centre will be bigger and better than ever after a multi-million pound reimaging, with an updated ride through time back to the Vikings, including the renowned sights, sounds and of course smells! The opening weekend will see live music, games and displays, so it’s not one to miss! Be sure to book tickets in advance as the first few weeks of the re-opening will be very busy.
https://www.jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk/
OPENING: 8^th April

SHAMBLES FOOD COURT AND SPRING CRAFT MARKET

Right next to the famous medieval cobbled street, The Shambles, is The Shambles food court and market, boasting a variety of stalls of all kinds. Over the Easter period, there will be some new craft stalls featured on the market. The Shambles food court will have some tempting street food on offer including crepes, homemade Italian dishes, Mexican food and spicy chicken wings! There’s even a bunny hunt taking place, so pick up an entry from Shambles Wrap or Pizzoli to be in for a chance of winning some chocolate!
http://www.shamblesmarket.com/

MORE THINGS TO DO ON YOUR EASTER VISIT TO YORK:

•   Beningbrough Hall, Gallery & Gardens: 4th-17th April, 10:30am-5pm
  
         Easter weekend with Cadbury – meet the Easter bunny, decorate an egg competition,  follow  the bunny trail.
   https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/beningbrough-hall-gallery-and-gardens
  
•  Castle Howard: 8^th-21^st April, 10:30am-4pm
  
        The Cracking Egg Trail’, face painting, crafts, birds of prey displays, Lamb national sheep racing and sheepdog demonstrations.
  http://www.castlehoward.co.uk/
  
•  Treasure’s House:  
   4^th-17^th April, 11am-4pm
         Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt – trail searching for Cadbury treats, games on the lawn.
   https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/treasurers-house-york
  
• Fairfax House:14^th April, 5pm
       The story of the Terry family in York and how chocolate is made and became so popular! Includes chocolatey refreshments!
  http://www.fairfaxhouse.co.uk/
  
• Goddard’s House and Garden:15^th-23^rd April, 10.30am-5pm
        A Very Terry Easter – Chocolate orange cake in the dining room, chocolate trails, chocolate talks and chocolate box making! Maybe even have a go at blindfolded taste testing.
  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/goddards-house-and-garden
  
• York Minster:
  
        1 March – 21^st AprilLent and Easter services, fabric crafts, family activities every Wednesday.https://yorkminster.org/home.html
  
• Museum Gardens:
        Head over to one of my all-time favourite places in York, where the daffodils and tulips are in full bloom! The gardens are beautiful on a sunny day and boast beautiful views of the river and medieval ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey. The perfect spot for a picnic lunch and ice-cream!
  https://www.yorkmuseumgardens.org.uk/

YORK PASS

If you are heading to York over the Easter break, do look into getting a ‘York Pass’, whereby you can get into a lot of the attractions I have mentioned for cheaper by paying for a one, two, or three day pass! More details here: http://www.yorkpass.com/
Purchase them from the Visit York visitor information centre, 1 Museum Street.

For more information on what to do in York, make sure you take a trip to Visit York whilst you are in the city, and take advantage of all of the helpful staff and volunteers that work there! There are hundreds of leaflets available for free that tell you all about what to do, what to see and where to eat and drink. Here is the Visit York website which tells you even more about what’s going on over Easter: http://www.visityork.org/

Thank you for reading and I hope this has helped if you’re planning a trip to York for Easter, or already live there and wanted to know what’s on offer! :-)