Ostend Belgium - Supernatural Inspiration for The Beyond Series

Here we stayed in a Parc similar to Centre Parcs called Sun Parcs, house lodges set in leafy forests with lots of surrounding nature. It seemed quite odd, but intriguing to me how fellow Europeans enjoy their holidays.



Well, firstly they don’t bother with evening entertainment or eat out very much as there were just two restaurants, one of which was licensed, but neither was rarely open and even more rarely stocked with a great choice of food.

As these were self-catering lodges, I’m assuming most people made their own entertainment in the evening. Naturally like Centre Parcs, all activities were geared around sporty, out-doorsy wholesomeness and swimming. I have to say I loved the swimming pool oasis. The lodges were much more basic, probably because the park was older, but we did have a sauna in there, which was cool – or hot, as the case may be.

One other noticeable difference was the adult spa area. In the UK all guests receive complimentary towels and robes and everything is all civilised and lovely. Some people choose to walk around in their costumes, but most robe up as they walk from one steam bath to sauna, to waterbed to foot spa, etc. Very Lovely.

In Belgium though, as soon as one walks into the adult spa one is immediately hit with a man’s meat and two veg swinging about between his legs and ladies puppies yapping in ones face! Naturally our little group was shocked and immediately looked away. We then told the duty staff we hadn’t been told it was a nude spa, but we were quite happy to still attend with our bathing costumes on. We were told no. All nude or no spa!

Now if I’d just been with my husband, I probably would have gone for it. No one else knew us and some of the sagging that was being carried off in that spa, well, my skin would have looked positively fresh and nubile in comparison! The only problem was my husband’s best man and his wife, who I’d only met a couple of times previously, were on holiday with us. And I’m sorry, but no matter how liberal I like to think I am, I knew I wouldn’t be able to see them or myself in the same light again if we’d all seen each other naked! So no spa in Belgium.

We walked to the tram stop just outside the camp and discovered we were right next to a beach, but as it was October it was far too cold to sit out on. We caught the tram into Ostend and it was a pretty seaside/Port town with obligatory old pirate ship in dock and a small fair that ran through the streets (probably for Halloween celebrations). I tried my first real Belgium waffle, with Belgium melted chocolate and whipped cream. Oh My! I am salivating just typing about it. Absolute sensation on the tatstebuds.

We went for a walk down the pier, which was all concrete, unlike our steel and wooden boardwalk back in the UK complete with little shops and amusements and rides. No this just had a café and little maritime museum at the very end. The promenade is similar to a UK one, but this was all pedestrianised, which was lovely. And in the evening we decided to drive out of camp and eat in a local restaurant. Weirdly, hardly anything was open.




Granted it was during the week, but even so. We did find a restaurant open in a hotel and it was lovely, although, it was the oddest tasted burger I’ve ever had! I really don’t think it was beef, but possibly proper Ham as in Hamburger because the meat was quite pinkish and there was so much herbs in it, I couldn’t decide whether it was to hide the true identity of the meat! It was okay though. Still wished we’d gone to the steak house that was also open though.

Well, I’m glad I’ve done it and I’ve even survived two trips on the Eurostar train without the train breaking down or water seeping through the Channel Tunnel !! One of the reason’s I was never travel through it before. I may even go on it again sometime, but I don’t think I’ll visit Belgium again anytime soon. It was a nice enough place, but everything was just all a bit… Mergh!

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Paris - City of Romance and Fascination For Witches and The Beyond Series

This is another great destination in Europe I wish to return to. I was only 20 when I came here and we did it on the cheap.  We stayed in a backstreet guest house hotel.  And in these type of accommodation no-one would speak English, even if they could. Inside though the décor was very lavish, lots of drapes and King Louis renaissance style furniture. Lovely! And no catering for international tastes, for breakfast you had a choice of Patisserie, Hot Chocolate or Coffee. French Breakfast or starve!

I didn’t mind though, I was in Paris and after being at school watching all the French exchange students come and go over the years, whom I was fascinated with – I love people watching and so was always curious and fascinated with French Exchange students when I was young so when I came to Paris and heard a city of them talking I was overjoyed, I could have sat in the cafes and museums all day long just listening and people watching. (Some say the art of a A Good Writer.




 We walked through the streets just soaking up the vibrant atmosphere and I just loved listening to them all talk, in streets, museums, cafes and restaurants. My travelling companion could speak some French and had visited Paris many times before so he showed me the sights as a professional. He knew the back door entrance to The Louvre so we didn’t have to queue up all around the Glass Pyramid like the rest of the tourists. So naturally we walked the opposite way through the Louvre to most other people, but I still got to see the Mona Lisa. Culture Vulture.

We walked to the Champ Elyse and then up the Eifel Tower which was exhilarating and fun. However, I wanted to Notre Dam and sail a Moulin Rouge boat down the river Seine. So naturally, I would like to return for that reason alone. It was also the first time I ever saw one of those human statue street artists, all painted like white marble! I remember almost jumping out of my skin when the thing move, much all the other tourists amusement.

Also back then I was a strict vegetarian and apparently the French don’t do Vegetarianism in restaurants. So I pretty much had to eat plates of over boiled vegetables, bread and cheese. Now I know French cuisine is superb as I’ve been to French restaurants here in the UK so I’m looking forward to experiencing amazing cuisine and more sightseeing that isn’t on the cheap next time.




One Day I plan to write Paris into my books... Perhaps not The Beyond Series as this is coming to a natural end and I only have one more book in me for the Epic journey of Galleano and The Daryavaush Paranormal Team, but you never know!

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Amsterdam - A World of Fun For Vampires and The Beyond Series

Somehow I manage to find trouble wherever I used to travel. Amsterdam was fantastic, although I did find all the sex industry stuff on show to the public a bit too much and I wondered  if most of it was geared up for curious tourists to ogle at the scantily clad women pouting in red lit windows with red velvet drapes.

I’m not a prude, but I think there is a line of decency that has been crossed in the red light district. I sat across the canals having a beer on arriving at the city and I immediately have these very unhappy sultry looking women staring back at us through a brothel window. Uncomfortable!

I had a look around a sex museum, which was another uncomfortable moment for me. At least there was a fun haunted house type museum. There was an ice skating rink in the centre of Dam Square, which was great fun. Got chatted up and stalked by the owner of a Greek restaurant we ate in one night.






When I look back now I think how stupid I was, but I was young and foolish. I accidentally ate space cakes at the famous Bull Coffee Bars when looking for somewhere to eat and decided to have that as a snack because I were peckish. As you can probably guess a paranoid British ladies, pretending to speak with an American accent and high as a kite, attempting to order food and wine in a restaurant is probably a great idea for a scene in a comedy show. All I can say is I’m glad You Tube wasn't that popular back then and people didn’t spend every moment of their lives with a camera or phone in their hands taking endless tiresome selfies!!!

A sobering experience though was visiting Anne Frank’s hiding place during the Second World War. She lived there with her own family and two other families in such cramped conditions for years and they were only allowed out to stretch their legs in the merchant’s warehouse at night. So sad to think she died just days before the war was over.

In stark contrast we took a river cruise to look around a merchant’s town house on the affluent side of the canal. A lot of marble and opulent furniture and décor abound. It seems life can be so unfair when all that is sometimes determined is when, where and whom you are born to.

The Wealth in Amsterdam was brought in by the diamond trade and we visited the diamond district where I plan to send my hapless Daryavaush Characters from The Beyond Series of Books to sniff out a demon or two in book number five because I feel Amsterdam is such a rich, vibrant melting pot of cultures, architecture and history. It’s great!

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Buda Pest - Scary City with Inspiration for The Beyond

I wasn’t as impressed with this city as much as with previous city breaks. Maybe I saw the wrong part of the city, but for me it seemed a dull, post war, concrete jungle full of train tracks.

I fancied a pampering at one of their ‘famous’ spa baths, but when I got there it stank of sulphur and the baths looked like some hideous Russian Leisure park complete with frighteningly large and rather curt, female therapists, (The Life's and Loves of a She Devil kinda spring to mind!)

However, I did visit the old, stone built part of the city, with eerie little winding streets and an amazing view of the Danube River and ate at the fantastic Red Devil restaurant which was dark, Gothic and atmospheric - deep underground in what could only be described as stone arched cellars with witch and devil effigies dotted around the place. 

The food was hot delicious and wholesome.  I chose this for the setting of the last chapter of Didikai Witch where Amethyst and Michael decide to hide from dangerous 'supers' by travelling around Europe in search of their family prophecy.

 

I found a great bar and nightclub in a shopping centre, but unfortunately everything shut down really early, so on our way back to the hotel I made a detour into a club with a flashing pink neon sign outside. I went in and a security man began shaking his head and waving saying “Women only, women only.” So after having a couple of drinks already I turned to my friend and said “Oh, it’s a lesbian club. Are you okay with a lesbian club?” Friend was like, “Oh sure, we’re only staying for a drink right?” So I nodded, smiled and said, “yes, women only.” 





We walked straight into this 80’ style discothèque, dark and dingy with velour seats, mirrors, glitter ball and a great big shiny pole in the middle of the dance.

I thought it odd, but ignored and continued to look at the very expensive drinks menu. Looking around we suddenly realised the clientèle was made up entirely of men in business suits.
And if the penny hadn't dropped by then, two very fierce looking women dressed in bikini’s and frighteningly high pointed shoes stormed past us then flung their bodies around the poles as two more draped themselves over a couple of men’s laps whilst giving me the evil eye!!! Needless to say I decided to leave immediately and left at record speed!

The old part of the city and along the Danube river was very beautiful and atmospheric - almost perfect for a scene in one of The Beyond Books series, but there was also many areas that I thought was dull and unmoving. One could even see bullet holes in the concrete tower blocks! Or maybe I just went to the wrong areas of the city.

Even when I googled photos for Budapest, this bridge and area of the Danube are the only views I seem to get, so maybe there isn't much to the city after all. Put it this way though, I won't be going back any time soon, but at least I can say I went.

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New Orleans - Part Two - 2008 The Beyond Series Supernatural Inspiration

2008 Trip – I loved New Orleans so much, I decided to return the following year. This time at Halloween as I’d always wanted to celebrate Halloween in the US because I know they do it in style and make a huge festival out of it. And where better to celebrate than in the home town of the Queen of the Macabre, Anne Rice. I made sure that we all had tickets to her famous Vampire Lestat Ball, which was held in The Garden District and to town with my costume.

I have to say though the locals really know how to create realistic Vampire costumes. We even found a shop that fitted vampire veneers and contacts. I decided to go pre-vampire bite.

Other watering holes that deserve a mention was the Carousel Bar. Named so because if you didn’t sit in one place your stool would be on the other side of the bar as the whole bar rotated slowly around the room, whilst drinking Martini cocktails and listening to a live pianist.

Another was the Pirates Bar by the Jackson Square church, where the psychics all sit out during the day under parasols and give you tarot readings. I wasn’t impressed by reading, so I won’t dwell on it. All the tour guides met at the Pirates Bar and we were very much made to feel welcome. I think they liked the English accent!

We went to a Jazz evening, which was very cultural and enjoyable. I even bought the bands CD, which was signed by the members and I’m very proud to say I own. I now play the CD whenever I want to return to NO in my head.

The two best places though was Prague, a very Gothic and atmospheric bar with a gorgeous courtyard out back filled with beautiful scented flowers. Inside the décor was dark, mysterious, with red velvet drapes Chaise lounges and chandeliers. Love it! And finally The Dungeon. Wow what a club. Dark, dingy and grungy. Naturally this place like so many other great places in New Orleans had to appear in My Fourth Book in the Beyond Series - Lycan Lamia for the final reveal scene. 

We took our new travellers to a different Plantation this time and we entered the sanctity of a real voodoo temple and voodoo shop. Again I described all of these places in great detail in my last book, but in a nutshell the different alters to different deities had a plethora of offerings that made the temple and shop look like a cluttered brik-a-brac shop.

Fascinating places though.  Here's a typical alter to Papa Legba. Most people seem afraid of Voodoo, but it actually is like everything else that's mysterious and mystical, some people (especially the film industry) take pagan rituals to a dark place!

I also had the opportunity to look around two of the houses used in the film Interview with a Vampire and a museum based in merchants old Spanish style house around Jackson Square.

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New Orleans - Part One - 2007 The Beyond Series Supernatural Inspiration

I am writing two parts to New Orleans because I loved it so much I went for the second year running. So 2007 trip I stayed at The Sheraton. Very salubriously posh and on a short walk away from the French Quarter, which is where we wanted to be. There was a gym and hotel pool on the roof and I spent a couple days there just chilling and sunbathing, which was gorgeous.

I had been put on the 45^th floor or something ridiculously high like that, I couldn’t look out of the window without suffering vertigo or panicking about low flying aeroplanes! But the rooms were just amazing and sumptuous. Sinking into the double beds (two of them) with more pillows than any sane person required, soft white cotton sheets in billowing fluffy duvets and a fluffy fleece throw to boot. Ahh luxury.

The only problem was we had to change rooms because the door lock kept jamming and we had to travel back to the reception in a super-fast express lift that actually missed the first twenty floors out because I guess the designers of the hotel didn’t think twenty floors warranted extra speed down to the ground floor!

So I got a new room, even higher up! I complained about my vertigo, but the hotel was virtually full, so as compensation I was given a key to the VIP lounge. Now THAT’S what I’m talking about. Free breakfast, free dinner canopies and champagne in a sumptuous lounge overlooking the city and the Mississippi. Brilliant. Yes, I could cope with the height!

As I went to explore the French Quarter for the first time, I was overwhelmed by the humidity and we had to stop at a coffee shop on Decataur. This was before we found the Café du Monde. I wrote about this in Lycan Lamia because I loved it so much and I would sit outside and have beignet (square donuts dipped in icing sugar) and freshly squeezed orange juice while buskers would serenade the customers eating outside by the river.

I went on a tour around the French Quarter on a horse and carriage and stopped off at the oldest tavern in the US and had a Tornado Volcano cocktail as we continued the tour through Jackson Square. I also went on a Ghost Tour and Voodoo Tour around the Quarter.








Some of the stories I remember were quite gruesome, men believing in voodoo to the point where they die of unknown illnesses, a rich merchants wife who used her slaves to torture and drink their blood… (Nicholas Cage apparently now owns the building) and murderous intent at a tavern, then saved by a ghostly spirit.




The best one I went to was a restaurant and at the back was a ghost table laid out for two poltergeists. They believed that by laying food wine and candle at the table every night they prevented paranormal activity in the restaurant. The table was very creepy and a feeling of foreboding and being watched by some malevolent spirit.

I loved it so much we went for a meal there one night to get a closer look at the table and see if could see any ghosts. I was so inspired I wrote several chapters to the Daryavaush Paranormal Investigation team meeting there and performing a voodoo ritual in another landmark St Andrews Hotel, which is known as the most haunted hotel in Louisana. I never stayed there, but I would like to if I ever return.

I also went on a few tours. The first was a tour of the Garden District, which I travelled to on a traditional American tram car or trolley bus. It was so lovely to finally be pointed out all the major landmarks in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles and Mayfair Witches trilogy. I saw the Lafayette cemetery, Anne Rice’s actual home, her second home she used just to house her doll collection and which is now Nicholas Cage’s other New Orleans home and the house used to film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.




The homes were huge and elegant. I loved it here and I decided if I ever became very rich I would buy a place in the Garden District. After the tour I found the most incredible cheese cake shop and café. The portions were so huge one didn’t need to eat for the rest of the day!

 The cruise on a traditional Mississippi steam boat, The Natchez was amazing. I ate a delicious traditional cajun meal, drank bourbon and danced to a live band for a very traditional New Orleans evening.

A trip to New Orleans cannot be complete without visiting some Plantation Houses.




This was where the very rich lived, huge sprawling mansions with cotton plantations at the back of the house, the land leading all the way down to the river. Every house had its own slaves, housed in slavery huts out the back yard. I visited the Oak plantation which was used in Gone with the Wind and Interview with a Vampire films, which is how I always imagine plantation houses to look, all white washed panelling, tall pillars and Grecian style porches.

But also saw on the tour the Laura Plantation, which was a large wooden bungalow on stilts in case of Mississippi flooded. There were two staircases, one for men and the other for women, because their dresses were so wide, it prevented men seeing the women’s ankles when they walked up the staircase and therefore keeping their decency and reputation intact. Oddly women owned the plantations and the Laura was passed down to the eldest daughter. The bedroom was the office and all meetings of business were held in an opulent bedroom with the female head of the household.

I booked on a Ghost, Vampire and Voodoo walking tour around the French Quarter at night which was very atmospheric - this is Pirate Alley and I think you'll agree looks quite spooky and I think was used as a scene in Interview With A Vampire, but more about that in my next New Orleans Blog.
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