We are probably pretty biased when it comes to our opinions about travel. Let’s just say that we are almost always in favor of it. And yes, this applies to traveling with family. These days that means adding a third generation to our vacation plans, but you don’t really think that we are going to spend an entire vacation without seeing our grandbabies, do you?
But we do understand the challenges that a bigger group, and especially when they are all related and some of them are still under five years old, bring to putting together a family getaway. We have learned that a lot of those problems can be solved by finding the right place to stay. That’s one reason why we are so happy to have discovered the perfect Accommodation in the south of Gran Canaria.
The Marina Suites Hotel includes family apartments so that everyone can stay together in a stylish, contemporary flat that is sure to make the whole group feel right at home. They feature magnificent views, which means the incredible Atlantic Ocean can be your background for the entire vacation. Just relax and enjoy the sea breeze from your private balcony or terrace.
Everyone from toddlers to grandparents will find more than enough to stay busy and entertained, or simply relaxed, throughout the entire stay. All ages love a pool, so the infinite horizon infinity pool is sure to be a hit.
Need stuff just to keep the kids happy and having fun? Look no further that the Octopus Kids Club, it’s the perfect place for the younger folks. Jack the Octopus and his helpers will make sure that they have tons of fun playing games, expressing their artistic sides with arts and crafts, and plenty of group activities. A whale of a good time will be had by all.
Older kids won’t miss out either, with their own play area and game room where great games likee pool, petanque, ping-pong, foosball, and good old video game machines are all ready and waiting. Who knows, some of us very big (as in old) kids might even want to join in the fun.
Speaking of grown ups, the adults have not been forgotten. Marina Suites has plenty to offer, like fabulous Jacuzzis, a round of golf, an wide array of beauty treatments and messages, or world class dining.
There is so much to do that they even offer a Day Pass so that guests who are not staying at the hotel can enjoy all of the amenities as well.
Want to hear something really great? Marina Suites has put together an Offer hotel and flight to Gran Canaria that not only makes your trip incredibly easy to book, it also saves money. You can’t beat that!
Just click the link above to check out their exclusive offer that combines flight and hotel by using the “Flight+Hotel” option on the booking bar. There you will find the very best flight options to go along with your hotel accommodation. Then be sure to use the promo code to redeem the additional discount for your travel package.
It’s so easy, even we can do it.
David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com
The stretch along the bay ran over and through large sand dunes that have been covered with grassy growth so that the seemingly solid ground beneath our feet was actually continually shifting.
Before long we came to the enduring little Saint Enodoc Church. This stone chapel became known as Sinking Neddy because it looks as though it has sunk into the ground. But looks can be deceiving, actually it has been battling the relentless encroachment of the dunes that have continually conspired to cover it for nearly nine centuries.
We have always been fascinated with cemeteries, the older the better, and St. Enodoc’s was mesmerizing. Not only for the markers, some of which date back to the sixteen hundreds, but for the scenic placement overlooking the bay.
Another interesting feature of the church, which was new to us but that we would encounter many more times again on this trip, was the lychgate we passed through to enter the yard.
Leaving the flora and fauna behind we returned to human habitat in the pastoral village of Pityme. The name is said to come from a tragic tale of loss at sea.
Entering the town along the beach we could see some of the namesake stones along the shoreline, even with the tide rising rapidly. Clearly, we didn’t have time to dawdle or we would be the ones asking for pity while we washed away to sea.
As we set out through the outskirts of 
History came alive as we climbed up to Richard the Lionheart’s Château Gaillard built in 1196, stood where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, and rode right through the center of the D-day invasion at Omaha Beach.
We even had the energy left to climb 396 steps up to the top of the tower at Château de La Roche Guyon, where Field Marshal Rommel commanded the Axis forces as they fought to hold off the allied invasion.
By the time we made it to the garden that inspired many of Monet’s most notable paintings, and Vincent van Gogh’s last home just outside of Paris, we were firm believers in assisted living, or should we say pedaling.
Another cool feature of the system that we grew to seriously appreciate was the ability to use the charging mode as a braking device on downhill stretches.
The next day found us crossing the bay to the town of 
As Padstow disappeared behind us, we came to a Celtic Cross overlooking the city. This was erected as a monument to the soldiers lost in The Great War, or what became known later as World War I. The poignant tribute stands in a beautiful setting, and we learned as we traveled across Cornwall that nearly every town has one.
The crew of NCI Stepper Point Lookout Station was glad to explain their mission of watching over the entrance to the Camel estuary and the port of Padstow and, perhaps most importantly, keeping an eye on the notorious Doom Bar. This sandbar that blocks the entrance at low tide has caused over six hundred vessels to wreck or run aground so a close watch is of primary importance.
No matter the folklore, navigation has been tricky in these parts for quite a while, as evidenced by the stone tower near the coast guard station. Known simply as the Daymark, this navigation tower was built centuries ago to help guide ships around this treacherous point. It was originally lime-washed white to make it visible out to sea, but most of that has long since faded away.
This characteristic is why this coastline is so craggy and, in the case at Gunver, the crashing surf has created sharp peaks that stand like sentries along the shore.
In Cornwall the classic British afternoon ritual is called cream tea, because clotted cream is a star of the show. This butter-like whipped cream is liberally laid out on scones that are lighter than most, in fact they reminded us of good ole southern biscuits.
The steep coastline gave way to a sandy beach at Harlyn Bay while the sky once again took on an ominous tone. The threatening skies didn’t discourage the handful of surfers and small crowd of beachcombers though, still we made the call to proceed on to our final destination by bus.
Entering on the high road, for a better view, we came to the first of many encounters we would have with the works of Barbara Hepworth. Her bronze sculpture, Epidauros II, adorns the Malakoff overlooking the harbor, so we stopped for a look at both the art and the panorama.
Heading down to the waterfront, we made the church dedicated to St. Ia our first stop. The church was built during the reign of King Henry V from 1410 and 1434 as a 
Leaving Saint Ia’s we made a loop around the town, beginning and ending at the waterfront. Among the myriad of shops, inns, and restaurants along the water, The Sloop Inn stood out. Dating back to 1312, this classic fisherman’s pub lays claim to being one of the oldest inns in Cornwall.
From there we walked along the coast of what the locals refer to as The Island, but it is really a peninsula. The point is crowned by the St Nicholas Chapel, which is thought to predate St. Ia’s, but no records survive giving the history of the old stone church. What is known is that it was often used to keep watch for smugglers and for storage by the War Office over the.
Our circular route took us onward to Porthmeor Beach along the way to the Tate Gallery. As a hub for artists form more than a century, St Ives seemed the perfect location for second of the Tate’s regional galleries. Opening in 1993, now nearly half a million people visit each year.
A few blocks through the narrow streets we stopped off for one more encounter with Barbara Hepworth’s work at her Museum and Sculpture Garden.
