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Mayochup

A London based food, parenting and travel blog. Follow us on our travels

After a 4 hour drive, our first stop on a weeks tour of England and Scotland is Chester which is situated in the north west just below Liverpool. Chester is one of the few walled cities that is still standing when built by the Romans all those years ago and as a result, the city centre is stunning which combines Roman architecture with Tudor buildings.

View of Chester from the city walls
View of Chester centre from the city walls

Chester city centre
Chester city centre
After a slow stroll around the centre, we toured around the city walls which takes around 45 minutes to complete. As it so happens, it was Chester race weekend so when passing the racecourse, it was busy with the local Chester wildlife in various states of soberness. Still, this made the city colourful and buskers were out aplenty playing either Oasis or Beatles songs. The really talented ones play both Oasis and Beatles!

For tourist attractions, there are many. You have the remains of an old Roman ampitheatre, Chester Cathedral which is free to enter (they ask for a donation but not mandatory), two tiered shopping centre with tudor architecture, city walls, Chester zoo, the famous Eastgate clock. It's best to Google to find out what you want to do.

We found a place for lunch, situated just below the city walls, called Porta which is a tapas and wine bar. The place is tiny but the food is amazing and just what we needed. Most pubs are baby friendly and little Tamara enjoyed all the attention.

Porta kitchen
The tiny kitchen area. Chefs have nowhere to hide

Small service area

Prawn, croquettes and calamari
Prawns, croquettes and calamari

Pastel de Nata
Pastel de Nata - a Portuguese dessert
More shops later, it was time to find somewhere for dinner and Chester boasts a fantastic amount of out-of-town gastro pubs serving excellent food so we opted for The Chester Fields which has wonderful views of the countryside on a lovely sunny evening. The only downside is if you choose to eat outside, you'll have to contest your dinner with the local wasps which was off-putting. Still, we moved inside so we can enjoy our dessert in peace.

Steak and chips
Steak and chips. Meat was so tender and cooked perfectly

Lamb cooked three ways
Lamb cooked three ways. Just fantastic

Chocolate tart and strawberry ice cream
Odd combination this one. Dark chocolate tart with strawberry ice cream. Didn't quite go and the tart was a bit dry

Creme Brulee
Creme Brulee. Just amazing.
Chester is well worth a weekend visit with its stunning architecture, city walls, great food and warm and welcoming people. What's not to love?

The Chester Fields
Sandfield Farm
Chester Road
CH2 4JR
http://www.thechesterfields.co.uk/


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Situated on the edge of the South Downs national park is Marwell Zoo and is a lovely place to visit. Unlike most zoos where they try to cram in as many animals and enclosures within the space they have been allocated, Marwell is expansive with animal enclosures dotted here and there. This does mean a lot of walking however, there is a mini rail that links one end of the park to the other for those who are less inclined.

Marwell doesn't have the same variety of animals if you compare it to London Zoo; no elephants for example but the ones they do have are well worth visiting. The giraffes in particular are a highlight.

Took a while to get this shot
We also managed to get a photo of the leopard which was difficult to spot. Luckily it came right to the window.

Had to be quick to take this one
Right at the start, or at the end, of the zoo is the penguin enclosure. Marwell put on a public feeding spectacle three times per day on set time schedule and we managed to catch the last performance.

Penguin feeding time
Adults are £20 per person and children between 3-16 are £16 per person which I find a little steep. A 3yr old and a 16yr old are going to take very different things from the experience. I would feel a bit ripped off if I had to fork out £16 for a 3yr old but as Tamara is only 5 months, she was free. Just as well as she slept through most of it! As for her experience, she loved the trees and was not too fussed about the animals but perhaps that will change as she gets older.

Marwell Wildlife
Thompsons Lane
Winchester
Hampshire
SO21 1JH
https://www.marwell.org.uk/zoo/

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Our little one is full of surprises and sees the funny side of doing a naughty deed!


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Out of the blue, my brother-in-law proposed to his long term girlfriend and to celebrate, we were invited to a pub outing and dinner at The White Horse in Harpenden.

The pub is situated on the edge of Harpenden next to idyllic houses and greens and fits in nicely in the area. The garden area is extensive and well looked after. The inside blends modern with rustic giving it a homely feel so it suits all seasons. As it was a warm evening with a bright blue sky, we opted to eat outside.

So after the chinking of the champagne glasses filled with prosecco, it was time to order dinner. The weather put paid to the availability of the menu, not because it was spoiled, but due to the pub being extremely busy over that weekend.

We both opted for the pork roast with crackling and all the trimmings. As you can see, the portion size is good and you definitely get your moneys worth.

Pork Roast with all the trimmings
My mother-in-law is a little fussy when it comes to ordering restaurant food and not all that keen on English/European food so she had Halibut with Asparagus and vegetables which isn't on the menu but the The White Horse was more than willing and capable to tailor a dish to her needs. 

Halibut with Asparagus and vegetables
Even though we managed to polish off our mains and feeling quite full, there is always room for pudding and we were enticed by the Rhubarb and Almond Pie which was amazing. The almond pie was warm and soft which complemented well with the strips of rhubarb and the dollop of clotted cream.

Almond and Rhubarb pie with clotted cream
This pub is recommended if you're in the area and is a nice place for large groups to come together. 

The White Horse
Redbourn Lane
Hatching Green
Harpenden
Hertfordshire
AL5 2JP
https://www.thewhitehorseharpenden.co.uk/



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Bournemouth is a 1.5 hour drive away so when the sun’s out, we can pop down and we did just that. However, when we got there, and this was upon arrival at Bournemouth, it was foggy. No matter though as there are still plenty of things to do other than the beach.

A foggy start

Beaches are empty due to the weather
Being a typical British seaside resort, there’s plenty of amusement arcades, snack shops, restaurants, tourist shops and other places to visit. There’s even a sea life centre should the weather make a turn for the worse. Luckily for us, the fog lifted and we were treated to wonderful views of the English coastline. Baby Tamara loved it and got to touch sand for the first time and was captivated by the sea. However, the sound of the waves lapping the shoreline soon put her to sleep!

Luckily the weather improved

Views of the sea
There are plenty of places to eat but our tip is to walk a little further down the promenade to find ones that are more reasonably priced as the restaurants by the pier (the main entrance) tend to be quite expensive and lacking in quality. Harry Ramsdens being the major culprit. All batter, hardly any fish. So after a 15 minute walk, we found a lovely little place called Chine Side. This place offered seating upstairs on the balcony which is perfect for those sea views and people watching. Being by the sea, we couldn’t resist Fish & Chips and Salmon Fishcakes & Chips. We were pleasantly surprised with the healthy portions too. It's a shame there was no mushy peas but can't have everything.

Fish and Chips

Salmon Fishcakes and Chips

We returned home just before the stag and hen groups would come out to play which is the right time. Also beating the traffic on the way back. This resort is definitely worth the trip and a great place to relax.

Chine Side
Durley Chine Road
Bournemouth
Dorset
BH2 5JG
01202 438288
http://www.chineside.co.uk/


Chine Side Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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