Oh Beautiful Betty's

The first thing my mum said when my dad told her we were going to Harrogate was 'we have to go to Betty's' and like hell did we! We managed to visit a different Betty's on each day of our break and all three were just as we had imagined.

For those who had not heard of Betty's before like me, well they are pretty legendary in Yorkshire. The first Betty's was opened in the early 1990s in Harrogate and expanded into other towns and cities in the area. It was famous for it's afternoon tea and amazing cakes and bakery. The business has been passed down through the family and is as famous and well-loved today as it was back then.

We visited to the original Betty's in Harrogate first, followed by the Betty's in York and then in Harlow Carr. The history of the tea rooms is still visible in the beautiful ornate buildings they are located in within the towns. The Harlow Carr one was a bit different as it was at a RHS Garden and was situated in a newer building but all the aspects of Betty's that the people of Yorkshire and from far beyond have become fond of were still present.

There were queues from the outside of the doors along the street at both the Harrogate and York Betty's showing just how popular they were. We didn't sit inside these two Betty's partly because we didn't have time to queue but also me and my dad aren't fans of tea or coffee so it seemed like it would be a bit of a waste to pay so much money for afternoon tea and waste half of it. We did spend a long time looking around the shop and bakery next to the tea rooms though at all the delicious breads, cakes, chocolates, jams and chutneys they had produced.

The Harlow Carr Betty's was much quieter but was just the same inside. The waitresses were all dressed in their very smart uniforms and the food available was identical to that of the original Betty's. We all sampled a different Betty's speciality cake and each was delicious but their famous macaroons really did steal the show!

Betty's was the perfect place to stock up on gifts to take back for our family and friends. Ever since we went to Paris in Easter my boyfriend has fallen in love with macaroons so when I saw a box of macaroons looking so elegant in the Betty's window I knew that they were the gift for him. They were wrapped so beautifully and looked so delicious. So delicious in fact that me and my sister couldn't resist buying an extra macaroon to share between ourselves for the walk home. We chose a strawberry one and I can tell you that it was the most incredible macaroon I have ever tasted.

If you are ever in the Yorkshire area then visiting a Betty's tea room really is a must. The attention to detail is incredible, the waitresses so attentive, the cakes so delicious and the history of the family so interesting to experience.

A Mini Break in Harrogate Part 2

On Sunday, we decided to have a look around Harrogate itself. In the Valley Gardens across the road from the apartment they were having the 'Big Picnic' so we had a look around the various stalls and activities that were going on. One thing that all my family commented on was how friendly the people from Yorkshire seemed to be. Everyone was really willing to have a little chat with you and were very helpful with directions or advice on places to go and see. The picnic had such a lovely family atmosphere and we really enjoyed spending the morning walking the gardens and soaking up the sun!

We then walked further into Harrogate centre and all around the town. It wasn't as big as York and there wasn't so much to see or do but it was still a really pretty place.

We then went back to the apartment for bacon and brie sandwiches and to get all patriotic and support Andy Murray in the Wimbledon final! My mum and sister aren't such a big fan of sport though and they soon got bored so during the rain break in the tennis we went for a walk to Betty's tea rooms at Harlow Carr. It was the third Betty's we had stopped at during the weekend but the only one we had purchased cakes from! It was about a 3 mile round trip walk through the pine woods to Harlow Carr and was lovely. Along the way we got some really great views across Harrogate and the surrounding areas because we were so high up.

We stopped for ice cream on the way back because we were so tired and needed an energy boost! We are so glad we did though because we found the most incredible ice cream parlour called Vanilli's. It was just at the end of our road and we had seen it the evening before but it was all closed up. The ice cream was AMAZING and came in the most incredible flavours. It was all homemade on the premises and I sampled a few different flavours before landing on a scoop of Cookies and Cream and a scoop of Jammie Dodger. Both were so good and made me want to go back for more! My sister had honeycomb and Cherry pie and my mum had Mint Choc Chip.

We had a great few days away and loved our first taste of Yorkshire. Now time to get back into work mode and finish the last 6 weeks of my internship before I jet off to the sun for a couple of holidays! I can't wait.

A Mini Break in Harrogate Part 1

I'm not sure whether my Dad has been reading my blog or whether he has the powers of the character in 'What Women Want' but on Friday morning my Dad surprised us with a trip to Harrogate for the weekend. He'd booked a last minute deal on an apartment just out of the centre of Harrogate so needless to say there was a lot of excitement in my house! We set off on the 3 hour journey and soon arrived at a beautifully decorated and furnished apartment in a perfect location - overlooking the lovely Valley Gardens and just a 5 minute walk from the centre of Harrogate.

We went out for a lovely meal to Prezzo on the Friday evening and then went for a little walk around Harrogate before we collapsed into our beds for a much awaited long nights rest. We slept for a good 12 hours.

When we woke in the morning me and my dad went for a lovely run around the Valley Gardens. The sun was shining and we went and explored the beautiful park on our doorstep. We then all headed out to York for the day which is about a 30 minute drive from Harrogate. York really was beautiful. When we left we all found ourselves longing to go back and promising that we would visit York again soon. It is a stunning city and we were so lucky with the weather that we could just wander around all the little streets and along the river and city walls all day.

We started down by the river. It had burst it's banks on the opposite bank due to the amount of rainfall they had so riverboat cruises had been cancelled which was a bit of a shame but we still had a walk along the side of the river and over the bridges. 

Who knew they had a big wheel in York as well? I didn't go on of course, I have a major fear of heights!

We then sat down in the lovely gardens in York to eat our picnic and engage in a bit of people watching - definitely the best sport. For the rest of the afternoon we explored York on foot, visiting the Minster and all the little streets in and around the centre of York.

We had a walk down the Shambles, went into lots of little cute boutique shops as well as some well-known stores. I managed to stumble upon the Mulberry factory shop but it was still too expensive so we all stared through the window in awe making a mental dream list of which bags we would love to buy!

We also went in Cath Kidston and bought some ice cream from a lovely little parlour. We found time to walk part of the city walls and have a stroll through the various lovely gardens and parks that are dotted all over the city of York. After a very tiring day we collapsed back into the car to head home, picking up a Chinese on the way!

Holiday Planning

I am crying out for a holiday so badddd! I feel so exhausted at the moment what with going straight from my second year of university and exams into a 12 week internship! A holiday is exactly what the doctor ordered but sadly I have to wait until the end of August to go. When I think about it 10 weeks isn't too long a time and I am really grateful to be going away but I wish it was just that little bit sooner. We are going to Portugal and I'm already excited! Ironically I am scared of flying but I make myself do it because living in England I would go mad if I didn't flee to the sun at least once a year!

Hearing about everyone else's amazing trips abroad have made me crave a holiday this year more than most. So many people at work are either on holiday, have just got back or are going in the next couple of weeks. Being a student many of my friends are also spending the summer interrailing or exploring the world. Part of me wishes I could go too but landing an internship at a marketing agency isn't likely to come round too often so I am grateful for the opportunity I have been given.

As if one holiday to Portugal is not enough, me and my boyfriend are going to book a late deal abroad somewhere in September time once our internships have finished and the schools have gone back. We are hoping that will make it doubly cheap but that we will still have a good choice of places to go. I only have two criteria for my holiday: sunshine and sea.

I created a collage of places I'd love to visit for inspiration and to get me thinking about where we could go...

Top left: Croatia, Top middle: Croatia, Top right: Croatia, Centre left: Tenerife, Centre middle: Italy, Centre right: Lanzarote, Bottom left: Ibiza, Bottom middle: Malta, Bottom right: Italy

Having done a bit research I have been most drawn to Croatia so at the moment it has jumped to the top of my list of destinations to ask the travel agent about