Posts byCarmen Allan-Petale, Author at Double Barrelled Travel [ 71 ]

Fun in the sun in Gran Canaria

If you’re after a holiday with plenty of fun in the sun, a Gran Canaria holiday could be right up your street. Based just off the west coast of Africa within the popular, sun-drenched Canary Islands archipelago, Gran Canaria promises plenty of sunshine and a fabulous escape that’s as diverse as they come. Thanks to its location, the island benefits from a wonderfully warm year-round climate that’s scorching hot in the summer and pleasantly warm in the winter. So it [...]

10 things I will and won’t miss about London

Oh London. I’ve loved you and loathed you over the past four and a bit years. When we were dirt poor, I hated you. Everything was too expensive and we couldn’t even scramble together enough pennies to get the tube into the West End to go for a stroll. But when we had a little bit more money, life was good. The cocktails, the bars, the sightseeing… it’s been fun, hasn’t it? There are parts of you that I will [...]

Review: Afternoon tea at The Portrait Gallery

Whenever tourists think of where to go for afternoon tea in London, they think of The Ritz. And it’s not surprising. Although I’ve never been, it certainly looks glamorous. But I’m more of a regular for afternoon tea at The Portrait Gallery. Why? Well aside from it being a fraction of the price, The Portrait Gallery restaurant has one of the most spectacular views over London. I think it’s a bit of a hidden gem. Not many tourists seem to [...]

Top 10 travel bloggers on Instagram

So at the beginning of this year, I deleted our Instagram account. Er… I wish I hadn’t done that now, but it’s been done. Why did I wish I hadn’t done it? Because it’s a great to follow other travel bloggers on Instagram. Why did I do it? Instagram had written new terms and conditions which meant that your photos no longer belonged to you and Instagram could ‘take’ (by this, they meant steal) them for commercial use. As in, [...]

The cursed palace: Top 5 haunted tales of Kensington Palace

The chief curator at the Historic Royal Palaces, Lucy Worsley, says there have been at least seven princesses associated with Kensington Palace who were either ‘sad, bad or even mad’. And when you visit you certainly feel as though there is a gloomy atmosphere to the Palace. But rather than pushing me you away, for me I found it intriguing. Many people visiting London go to Buckingham Palace. It’s the famous royal building where the Queen works during the week [...]