Meg.

We found this 'cabinet of curiosities' when googling to find a wet weather activity in Wales, and we struck gold with this one!

The museum and shop makes up the ground floor of a canal-side cottage, and is stuffed full of haunted items, medical antiques, taxidermy  and wet specimens - true Addams Family vibes. The owner Dave was so welcoming and knowledgeable and it was a real pleasure hearing how his hobby has turned into a business. 

There is so much packed into this tiny museum, we walked around several times spotting new things each time. 

We were here for around 30 minutes, which for the entry price (£2.50) is excellent value for money, and we are sure some may stay for longer, especially if attending a special event or workshop there. 

Ady & Flossie. 

We were not invited on this adventure ☹

Meg.

I loved this restaurant! Although not 100% gluten free, the staff are super hot on avoiding cross contamination and made me feel very safe. They have a real focus on 'pizza for everyone', regardless of your health need.

There is not a gluten free menu, but any pizza can be made on a gluten free base. And this is the only restaurant that I have been to that does not just one gluten free base, but FIVE gluten free bases! 

I opted for the gluten free purple corn base, and as you can see from the photo, my pizza really was purple! 

There is lots to do in Bath, but we paired our lunch with a visit to this museum.

Ady & Flossie.

We were not invited on this adventure ☹

Meg.

My friend and I loved visiting this super quirky museum! It is spread over four floors of a townhouse, immersive and focuses on Mary Shelley's life, the novel origins and it's legacy.

If you are feeling really brave you can also venture into the scary basement and there is also the option to book an escape room (extra cost). We did neither of these, and still loved it!

It is quite small, so I would recommend booking in advance. Our confirmation email did not arrive, but the staff were very helpful on email / on the door so we did not have any issues gaining entry.

We paired this with lunch at this restaurant. 

Ady & Flossie. 

We were not invited on this adventure ☹

Flossie. 

I was very spoilt when I visited this dog bakery! I was a little bit naughty and stole a treat from the shelf... luckily the kind owner saw the funny side!! 

Ady & Meg.

We stumbled across the dog bakery whilst on this hike in Cheddar, and simply had to detour to give it a quick visit. The shop sold all sorts of goodies for pets, but the real highlight for us was the 'dog cake' cabinet!

Ady & Meg.

We really enjoyed this hike! Granted going on a 'yellow warning for ice' day probably wasn't our best idea, but the views were incredible.

The parking is very limited, and Cheddar by nature is a very touristy place - we recommend trying this one on a weekday or very early in the morning! 

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, especially the dog bakery that was on route 😋

Meg.

This hike has some great views! It starts from a picnic site car park and very quickly you get views of Kelston Roundhill - the hill that you will be climbing towards the end of the hike!

The route has a small section at the beginning where you go up and then back on yourself to continue the rest of the walk - I would recommend walking as far as the gate (to get the view) and then turning back around the continuing on the rest of the walk, as the offshoot is rather boring!

Kelston Roundhill was pretty busy when we got there, so I would recommend going early if you are wishing to avoid people!

Ady & Flossie.

We were not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

What a beautiful hike! It had the potential to be disastrous - firstly because an unattended farmer's dog took a dislike to Flossie as we were minding our own business in the lanes (eventually we managed to part ways) and secondly because part of the route was closed.

However, as long as you do the route anti-clockwise, you can continue to follow the road instead of turning off to the bridge at around 9.7km - easy! 

We absolutely recommend this hike - the views are stunning! 

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, although was disappointed that I wasn't allowed to play in the river! 

Ady & Meg.

This is a fantastic hike, with great views! The car park is at the top of the dam, so if you aren't feeling particularly energetic you could absolutely park up and just explore the immediate area. 

The hike follows the perimeter of the reservoir for a short time before turning away and heading towards the nature reserve. Unfortunately when we went the boardwalk in the nature reserve was closed due to repairs, but you can absolutely still make this a worthwhile circular walk by continuing to follow the road (fairly quiet lanes). 

Towards the end of the hike you pass the South car park, so we detoured into here quickly to see the dam from another angle. 

Flossie.

I liked this walk, although was not happy that I wasn't allowed to swim in the reservoir!

Meg.

I found this stall at Blenheim Christmas market, and although the stall was not 100% gluten free I was so impressed at how on-it they were in ensuring that their gluten free offerings were safe for Coeliacs!

I brought 3 cookies (oat and raisin, milk chocolate and white chocolate) and they were delicious. Their cookies are available to order online, and we absolutely will try this in the future!

Ady & Flossie.

We were not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

We were so impressed with this festive light trail! Following reading reviews online stating that it was busy even on a day advertised specifically to be quieter, we were concerned that picking the Friday directly before Christmas was a mistake.

But we needn't have worried, as although there were a lot of cars in the carpark, the trail did not feel crowded at all. The lights were beautiful, and it was great to find a trail which is dog friendly every day!

Flossie. 

I enjoyed my walk through the pretty lights, especially running through the tunnels! 

Ady & Meg.

We found this residential street whilst killing some time in Swindon. The residents of this estate have made a huge effort to create a truly magical atmosphere, and it's all for a great cause - the Kelly Foundation! Please consider visiting and donating.

Flossie. 

One of my prettier walks - I was terrified of the inflatables though! 😂

Meg.

This is a fantastic hike with amazing views throughout! 

My friend and I wanted to hike The Lawley, but were frustrated that the routes online seemed to be super short (1.5 hours) or super long (5 hours +). We managed to do this one in around 4 hours (quicker than the estimated time) making it the perfect day out for us! 

There is extremely limited parking at the start of the trail, so I would recommend you start early. Due to the steepness on the approach to Caer Caradoc, I would recommend sticking to just The Lawley loop if you aren't feeling super energetic. 

Ady & Flossie.

We were not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

This walk has a great mix of woodland and far-reaching views. It is a fairly easy walk, although the first section was very muddy and slippery. We loved finding and walking through Giant's Cave and there are some beautiful views throughout. Make sure you go slightly off route to see Eagle's Nest! 

Flossie.

I had a great time on this walk! Plenty of sticks and water to play in, but we did have to cross a cow field...

Pumpkin Patch

Flossie.

For my Birthday, my humans took me to this amazing dog park. As well as a shared play space (which we did not use), it had a doggie-supermarket full of toys, and because it was halloween the main area was filled with pumpkins!

The main reason that we were there though was for their Invisible Play Space - this meant that I did not have to see any other dogs/humans if I did not want to, and I was free to run around and play off lead without the worry of me getting lost!

As I love water so much, we booked the 'Water Woodland' which is basically a doggie waterpark in the woods! I loved playing in the pond, but took some convincing to get into the raised river.

Ady & Meg.

This dog park was such a great find! As Flossie is a reactive dog, we don't have many opportunities to let her off lead, and places with other dogs (and dog owners...) can result in drama. We loved that by booking an invisible play space, we could literally drive our car into our own private play area, and Flossie was free to roam as she pleased! We will absolutely return to try out their other play spaces!  

Read our 5/5 review of the WWT Slimbridge Light and Lantern Trails. Perfect for a non-scary, animal-themed family Halloween activity in Gloucestershire.

Meg.

A friend and I visited Ralph Court Gardens during the day to see their Halloween display. The garden (which is open the rest of the year as a 'normal' garden) was fully kitted out with everything halloween, from inflatables to animated features.

Although potentially a little cheesy rather than scary, we had a great time exploring and felt that it is perfect for young families. For the more brave amongst us, they also do an after dark version, with a couple of additional exhibits and no doubt a slightly scarier feel. 

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Contrast therapy is the use of hot and cold temperatures on the body with a list of potential benefits to your health and wellbeing. 

We had booked one hour exclusive use of the facilities, and were met by Cassie, who coached us through the whole session. 

Once in our swim attire, it was time for our first dip in a chill tub. There were three tubs, with temperatures of around 10, 6 and 3 degrees celsius. Meg took the 10 and Ady took the 6, and we were surprised by quite how cold they felt! 🥶

Cassie advised that we should spend 1-3 minutes in the chill tub, and then spend 13 minutes in the sauna. We repeated this routine three times, finishing on a quick chill dip to leave us feeling awake ready for the drive home.

Cassie was very knowledgeable and supportive throughout the whole experience, and the facilities were immaculate.  

Following one session, we can't say that we have felt any of the potential benefits yet - but that doesn't mean that someone else wouldn't / these wouldn't come with repeated use. 

It was an experience that we will never forget and we are so glad that we tried it - we recommend that you do too! 

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

We found this 100% gluten free home bakery via social media and simply had to make a special journey to Newport to try out the goodies! 

Owned by a Coeliac baker who lives with 'muggles', she is incredibly well versed in ensuring everything is kept Coeliac-safe, and has a separate oven, fridge, utensils and work space - there is no 'may contain' warning here! 

As well as producing individual orders from home, she also attends Belle Vue Market in Newport on the first Sunday of every month (March to December) and it was this market that we visited.

We arrived before opening, and there was already a queue - a true sign of how good these bakes really are!

We took away a white chocolate and raspberry cookie, a birthday cake cookie pie, 2 slices of Halloween old school sponge and a kinder cookie sandwich, and we honestly couldn't tell you which the favourite was - they were all lush! 😍

We will 100% be back! 

Flossie.

I was welcome at the market, as long as I was kept on lead. There was even a dog treat stall opposite this stall 😍

Ady & Meg.

This walk is a great mix of woodland and panoramic views! The route is quite uneven under foot, and undeniably 'up' (but in fairness, 'Mynydd' is 'Mountain' in English - what did you expect?! 😂). But, the views at the top are totally worth it! 

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, especially all the sticks and the little waterfall! 

Meg.

My muggle-friend and I loved this 100% gluten free cafe! At the time of writing they are only open Thursday - Saturday 10:30-2:30, but they offer such a wide range for somewhere so small. 

As a bonus they have excellent vegan options (my friend loved her chickpea coronation roll!) and my absolute favourite was their victoria sponge - you would never know it was gluten free! 

They have different daily specials such as fajitas, cottage pie, pizzas and various items in batter/pastry and all at a very fair price. They also have amazing customer service - we will 100% be back!

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Meg.

My friend and I really enjoyed the couple of hours spent wandering around this property. Generally I prefer exploring the grounds at these types of venues, but the house was beautiful and being able to see the views from the roof was the highlight!

It opens at 10am each day, although the walled garden does not open until 11am. As it gets busy quickly, I would recommend arriving at opening time, viewing the inside of the house first (via timed ticket) and then exploring the grounds afterwards.

At the time of writing this, Coughton Court is managed by The National Trust - so free entry if you have a membership, or a slightly pricey day out if not. That said, from February 2026 the Throckmorton family will resume day-to-day management of the property, which will mean that entry will no longer be free for National Trust members.

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Although Bucharest wasn't as crammed full of 'touristy things to do' like other cities that we have been to, there were still plenty of 'smaller' pretty sights to see. Here are our favourites:

Ady & Meg.

The Palace of Parliament is the heaviest building in the world, and the second largest administrative building in the world (after the Pentagon). 

Getting a tour of the inside of it is quite the fiasco - first we needed to meet at the tour office and show them our passports. We then had to leave all liquids (including lighters) there, and go through further security and passport checks once at the Palace of Parliament - all of this took at least an hour, before we even met the actual tour guide. 

The tour of the building itself was pretty impressive - the building really was huge, and very grand! In the 45 minutes that we were in there, we actually only saw 5% of the building!

This is a must see when visiting Bucharest! 

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Having Coeliac Disease in Romania is really tough - generally it is not a well understood dietary requirement there. We were therefore very excited to find a completely gluten free bakery!

Having travelled to many countries and acknowledging that Romania is quite far behind in terms of catering to Coeliacs, this bakery did not have the range that we have experienced elsewhere. This was particularly a shame as we had read online that on certain days they produce more, and we purposely visited on one of these days. We arrived expecting items like croissants and pizza slices, and instead left with eclairs and cookies. 

The eclairs were absolutely amazing, and we were very grateful for these, we were just hoping for something more savoury - a lesson to not believe everything you read online and contact places in advance! 

Overall we still recommend this bakery - just go expecting to buy sweets! 

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹️

Ady & Meg.

This trip was the highlight of our holiday! The day started by meeting our guide and travelling by minibus towards the mountains. Along the route we had a quick toilet stop at a petrol station, a quick photo stop below Poenari Citadel and a short walk at the beautiful Vidraru Dam.

Next came the best bit - we drove through the forest roads, and wild brown bears were just roaming around - our guide told us that although it is forbidden to feed them (and will land you a hefty fine if caught), some people still do it, which means the bears hang around waiting for treats! 

The route then took us up the winding Transfagarasan road up the mountain to Balea Lake, where we had free time to admire the views, and for those who could, eat at the many street food stalls up there. It was insanely cold up there, quite different to the 30 degree heat that we had left behind in Bucharest!

On the way back down we stopped briefly by Capra Waterfall, before seeing more bears on the Forest roads and eventually returning to Bucharest. 

We 100% recommend this trip! 

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Having Coeliac Disease in Romania is really tough - generally it is not a well understood dietary requirement there. We were therefore very excited to find a completely gluten free takeaway!

This place was a bit of a lifeline for us, as as well as being completely gluten free, it had much better opening hours than other places. 

They serve Arepas (kind of a cross between a kebab and a burger) and chips, and had several vegetarian options. There was very limited seating in there, but we had no problem getting a seat on each visit (and the seat was appreciated, as they were incredibly messy to eat!).

We 100% recommend that you try this place!

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Very unusual for us - this trip was booked at very short notice, due to another trip letting us down. We booked this trip purely based on the time of the morning that it was leaving - it was around a 12 hour trip (which ended up being more like 13.5 hours because of traffic) and we needed to be back in Bucharest in time for tea. 

The trip involved visiting Peles Castle, the town of Brasov and Bran Castle by coach - these are all fantastic places to visit and we 100% recommend them. This review and our scoring is however mostly a reflection of the trip itself...

As you can see from the advert, the trip claims that it is a guided tour, and asks that you bring cash with you so that you can buy your castle tickets through the guide (we assumed that this was because of timeslot issues etc). However, what we discovered whilst on the trip was actually that we had to pay extra if we wanted the guided tour (as it was, we did not 😂), Peles Castle was actually already sold out, and we had to purchase tickets to Bran Castle online!

If this wasn't disappointing enough, the tour guide's attitude was the nail in the coffin (apologies for the Dracula pun 🧛😂) - he told us that he was willing to switch the trip around (visiting Bran castle first, and Pele castle later, which would have gotten us access to the inside of Peles castle), IF enough people on the coach wanted to do it - but people who hadn't paid for the guided tour didn't count. As it was, there weren't enough votes, so the trip continued as planned. When it came to booking Bran Castle, again the tour guide refused to share the QR code with us, as we hadn't paid extra for the guided tour! (Here is a link to their official website to book the castle: https://www.bran-castle.com/en/) 

Upon reflection, and from speaking to others, we wish that we had actually travelled out of Bucharest independently, stayed the night in Brasov, and visited the castles independently. 

Although it was tough to find the correct website to book Bran Castle (it's not the first website on google!) we are still glad that we didn't pay extra for the guided tour - this meant that we were able to explore the sites as we wanted to, and even had time to visit alternative viewpoints to where the guided tour went. We had around 90 minutes at each destination, which was about right for us, but we appreciate that many people would find this too rushed.

As we said above, this review is about the tour, not the castles - they really are well worth a visit, and were one of the highlights of our trip to Bucharest!

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Bucharest is nicknamed 'Little Paris' due to it's french-influenced architecture and being such fans of Paris ourselves we thought this tiny museum would be worth a visit. 

You cannot book to visit here, and upon arrival you are greeted by a man who gives you a quick explanation and then you are left to explore the rooms at your leisure. 

The rooms are jam packed with the most elegant of decor, a real feast for the eyes! We weren't here any more than about 30 minutes, but we definitely recommend a quick visit - and make sure you visit the bathroom!

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Having Coeliac Disease in Romania is really tough - generally it is not a well understood dietary requirement there. We were therefore very excited to find a Hard Rock Cafe!

We had previously been to one in Amsterdam and were treated well, but obviously we knew things could differ from restaurant to restaurant. We therefore contacted them by email to check, and found that although they had the same menu as their sister restaurant, Bucharest wanted us to book our actual meals in advance (and we were more than happy to do so). 

When we arrived a manager quickly joined us at our table. He was well aware of our pre-order, but keen to warn us about the presence of gluten in their kitchen. He reassured us that they were preparing our food in a separate area, with separate utensils and that their fryer was gluten free - it was clear that they were doing all that they could, and this talk was more about making sure we didn't sue them.

As a Coeliac this is of course frustrating, as it makes it hard to tell the difference between a restaurant where there is real risk, and a restaurant which has gluten on the premises but have good measures in place to keep us safe. 

That aside, we had a lovely meal here, and there were no adverse reactions. Obviously as always, please use your own judgement - this is a restaurant which contains gluten and we completely appreciate that it's often the staff member that you deal with who makes the experience. On this occasion, we were very satisfied customers. 

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Just like the one in Paris, this Triumphal Arch sits at one of the city's busiest intersections and is surrounded by a constant whirl of traffic. You can view the arch from the ground for free, or pay a small fee to climb the stairs to the top for lovely views out over the city. There are not many panoramic views in Bucharest, so we are really glad that we did this. 

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

King Michael I park, or Herastrau Park as the locals call it, is the largest green space in Bucharest and is free to enter. Here we walked around the large lake, but we saw many people hiring boats and paddle boards, or using the route for running or bike rides. 

It felt very much like a park used by the locals, rather than a tourist destination, so we definitely recommend visiting here if you would like to escape the busyness of the city for a couple of hours. 

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

This open-air museum transports visitors to different Romanian regions and historical periods through real, relocated village houses, churches and artifacts. 

You cannot book admission online, and on Mondays and Tuesdays entry is half price as the insides of the houses are not open. That said, we attended on a Saturday and only two of the houses appeared to be open...

We spent around 2 hours here, but we are sure that others could spend longer. There was also a small market selling handmade goods. In our opinion it is a must-see when visiting Bucharest! 

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Having Coeliac Disease in Romania is really tough - generally it is not a well understood dietary requirement there. We were therefore very excited to find a completely gluten free bakery!

Having travelled to many countries and acknowledging that Romania is quite far behind in terms of catering to Coeliacs, this bakery did not quite have the range or quality that we have experienced elsewhere.

But, what really shone about this bakery was the excellent customer service! We contacted them ahead of arriving in Bucharest, as we knew that we had two days of long excursions outside of Bucharest, and would need to buy food that would not only last, but also travel well. 

Alexandra asked to call us to discuss our options, and her words of  "anything for a Coeliac" really touched us. We came away with a good selection of both savory and sweet items, and without these we would have had a very hungry few days in Romania!  

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹️

Ady & Meg.

Having Coeliac Disease in Romania is really tough - generally it is not a well understood dietary requirement there. We were therefore very excited to find a restaurant with a gluten free menu!

As per usual process, we contacted them beforehand to check that their processes were safe for Coeliacs, and they confirmed that the gluten free pizzas were prepared in a separate area. We booked a table via email for two separate nights, and when we arrived we were surprised to find the restaurant so quiet. 

Admittedly it wasn't the best gluten free pizza that we have ever had, and we were not offered dessert on either occasion, but when in a country which was so hard to find gluten free food, we were still super appreciative of having a safe place to eat. 

Obviously as always, please use your own judgement - this is a restaurant which contains gluten and we completely appreciate that it's often the staff member that you deal with who makes the experience. On this occasion, we were satisfied customers. 

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

This Apartment was in such a great location - close enough to explore the main tourist attractions easily, but far enough away from The Old Town that it was quiet (we spoke to a couple who were staying actually in the Old Town, and they said that they couldn't sleep as it was so loud!).

You certainly get a lot of Apartment for your money in Bucharest, and although admittedly the Apartment had a slightly odd smell, the location and view from the balcony more than made up for it. 

The Apartment came with a full kitchen, and although we did not cook we did rely heavily on the large fridge to store bakery goods! 

Overall we absolutely recommend this Apartment as a great base to explore Bucharest. 

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

This is Europe's biggest spa and was certainly the most impressive spa that Meg had ever been to (this was Ady's first experience of a spa!).

Information on the website is not the easiest to navigate, but basically tickets vary by the duration of your visit (3 hours, 4.5 hours, or all day) and the specific areas that you wish to visit;

• Galaxy Zone: includes a wave machine and slides (we did not visit this bit, assuming it was aimed at children and families).
• Palm Zone: Tropical gardens and pools - the majority of our photos below.
• Elysium Zone: An adults-only area with saunas and treatments. 

We opted for a 4.5 hour ticket which included all areas, but you can easily buy a ticket for one area and pay to access other areas on the day. We found that this was plenty of time for us, but admittedly we aren't the types to sit still for long! We were pleasantly surprised by how cheap our tickets were (in comparison to UK prices), at under £30 per person. 

Upon arrival you are each given a wrist band which is used to access your locker and make any purchases. We rented robes and towels (you must have a towel with you to access the saunas) and purchased flip flops (which were incredibly uncomfortable!) but you can take your own if you prefer. We also purchased several drinks from the bar during our visit (unfortunately unlike spas in the UK, there was no free water). 

We arrived prior to the spa opening, and were one of the first to access the pool areas. For the first hour of our visit it was fairly quiet, and easy to get a sunlounger. It did however fill up quickly, and by the time we left at lunchtime it was very busy - far from the relaxing experience at UK spas. We attended on a Friday, and expect that weekends and later in the day would be even busier. 

From around 11am onwards the spa runs short experiences in the saunas and steam rooms. The sauna ones are included in the Elysium Zone ticket, but fill up quickly so we would recommend arriving at your chosen sauna at least 10-15 minutes before it's due to start. We did a salt scrub experience and a Eucalyptus experience, and they definitely enhanced our use of the facilities.

There is also the option to pay extra to receive treatments (The queue to book these was huge even early on, so expect these to be sold out if you arrive later) and use water massage beds etc.

The main reason we did not stay for the full day was unfortunately food. The website was clear that no food or drink could be taken into the premises (although our bags were not checked...) and restaurants said they were unable to guarantee avoidance of cross contamination - we instead opted to make our way into Bucharest itself for an early dinner!

Overall this spa is a must-do if you are visiting Bucharest, based on cost and aesthetics. However, do prepare yourself for it to be busy or consider attending early in the morning on a Monday-Thursday in the hope of a slightly more relaxing experience.  

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

This Airbnb was a great find, super close to Therme Bucharest! You can certainly get a lot of Apartment for your money in Romania, and we were surprised at how nice this one was!

We arrived late at night, but the area was quiet and felt safe. The apartment was on the ground floor and was already unlocked so it was easy to get in. The room was clean and fairly modern and had a microwave and induction hob, so we were able to heat up some food. The bed was comfortable, and after reading the reviews we were surprised at how quiet the building was!

We definitely recommend this place for a cheap stay whilst visiting the spa!

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Meg.

This is such a pretty restaurant, a really lovely place to go for dinner. I had been here several times, long before we started this website, so this review focuses on my recent visit. 

As it had been a few years since my last visit, I phoned the restaurant ahead of my visit to check that they could still cater to Coeliacs safely. The staff member on the phone said that I couldn't have a gluten free pizza, which was a shame as I'd had it many times before and been fine - but perhaps they had since changed their processes?

When I arrived, we were served by a different member of staff. When I asked which items on the menu I could have, he told me I could have the gluten free pizza. This obviously caused a lot of doubt in my mind, having been told a few weeks previously that they weren't safe for Coeliacs. 

That said, our server was really great at going on to talk to me about the precautions that they would take to ensure my food was gluten free - pasta would be cooked in a clean pan, pizzas would be cooked on a separate tray and with different utensils. Anything fried (like chips) were not safe, due to shared fryers. 

I had a vegetarian pizza, with no adverse reactions.

Obviously as always, please use your own judgement - this is a restaurant which contains gluten and we completely appreciate that it's often the staff member that you deal with who makes the experience (and clearly the staff here have a bit more training to do). On this occasion, I was a very satisfied customer. 

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

This hike has stunning views right from the carpark. We arrived early on a sunny Bank Holiday Monday and the area was incredibly busy - hopefully it would be slightly more chilled on other days? 

The route hikes up to Jubilee Tower, with views all the way up. It then heads down into the woods, before returning to the car park. It is a very easy route to follow, but is undeniably 'up'!

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk and was glad to find some sticks in the woods. There were sheep on the route so it was a good job that I was kept on lead (and there were multiple signs up reinforcing this). 

Ady & Meg.

This is a super short walk to visit Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. The route itself does not actually walk over the Aqueduct, but this is easily added (as a quick out-and-back) and in our opinion that walk would have been pretty bland without it. 

The walkway over the Aqueduct is very narrow - we visited very early in the morning so pretty much had it to ourselves. We appreciate that it would have been much harder to cross had it been busier!

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, but was sad that I wasn't allowed to swim in the canal!

Ady & Meg.

This is such a cute coffee shop, in a lovely location along the canal. And what is even better is that it is 100% Gluten Free, so no risk of cross contamination!

Being completely outside, it is of course weather dependent, but they are generally open Friday to Sunday. We arrived at 11:30 on a Bank Holiday Sunday, and it was quite busy - but we still managed to grab a seat. We ordered a bagel each, and a selection of cakes, all homemade. A couple of the cakes were admittedly a little dry (we wonder if perhaps as we attended on their final day before closing for the week, that we got the leftovers from the previous days?) but the bagels were amazing! They arrived toasted, and there was a meat, vegetarian and vegan option for the filling! 

We would return for the bagels alone - delicious! 

Flossie.

I liked it here, and was given a water bowl. 

Ady & Meg.

This was a great hike with absolutely stunning views. We did the route as per AllTrails (anticlockwise) but if we were to do it again we would do it clockwise (so visiting the castle first) as the castle was busy by the time we arrived. 

The route is pretty steep in places, so isn't for the faint hearted and bar the castle we didn't see many other people. 

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, but there were sheep on route and some steep drops next to our path, so it was good that I was kept on lead.

Ady & Meg.

We absolutely loved staying in this Shepherds Hut! 

As you can see from the photos, it was decorated both beautifully and thoughtfully and the view of Castell Dinas Bran directly from the window and hot tub just speaks for itself! 😍

It was well situated to walk into Llangollen (which you will appreciate when you see what the traffic and parking can get like!) but was equally so peaceful that you would assume we were staying in the back end of nowhere! 

Admittedly it was not the most practical in terms of storage and cooking space. It had two hobs, kettle, toaster and microwave, so we weren't cooking anything too adventurous, but we still found ourselves juggling with space. That said, for those of you not needing to worry about a dietary requirement, there was also a BBQ outside, and of course the local town has tons of eateries to pick from!

Flossie.

I particularly enjoyed my stay here as the garden was secure, which meant that I could wander freely.

Ady & Meg.

This was a great and fairly easy going hike. There were some lovely views, and we would definitely recommend going during 'Heather season' as this really made the walk. 

We hardly saw any other people, which was surprising for late morning on a Bank Holiday Saturday. This was lucky however as there was very little parking anywhere near the route, and there was some road/lane walking with limited places to get out of the way of cars. 

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk and managed to find plenty of sticks! We did have to walk through fields of sheep, so lucky that I was kept on lead!

We have visited this 100% Gluten and Dairy Free Pub several times now, and it has become a firm favourite for us all. It really is such a treat to visit somewhere and be able to eat everything on the menu and not have to worry about cross contamination or mistakes being made. Below we have broken our experiences down into three sections...

Meg.

This is a great hike, with amazing views on a clear day. The route starts from the big car park opposite the pub, and follows the canal before cutting up through the woods and climbing Tor y Foel. 

The route is super easy to follow, and although Tor y Foel is steep, the remaining half of the route is pretty flat and often follows the canal. I really enjoyed this hike 🙂

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

This is a walk of two halves. For the first half, the views are fantastic - lovely wide open space and even on a good weather Saturday we saw minimal people!

For the second half, the route became incredibly overgrown, and in some places boggy. We went at a time where we hadn't had much rain for a while, so can imagine this would be unpassable in normal conditions. Once out of the 'wild' the final part of the walk was along a busy A road, with no pavement...

All in all, the views up there were great, but we suggest maybe making it a there-and-back walk once you hit the top?

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, but there were wild ponies and sheep on route so it's a good job that I was kept on lead.