Friday 17th and Saturday 18th December 2021 When Robert suggested to Matilda that they could combine a festive visit to his parents with an evening trip to the Birmingham Christmas Market he failed to mention that this would involve revisiting many of his favourite hostelries and very little shopping. Not so much Christmas shopping as festive pub crawl. The market featured the usual brightly lit tree as well as . . . . . . Christmas songs and pop up street bars serving Birmingham lager. Chris Moose was also in attendance – see Selfie of the day. Robert felt the need to pop into a firm favourite, The Old Joint Stock, a Fullers pub and theatre housed in an old Victorian bank with a beautiful glass domed roof. The Colmore nearby also proved very hospitable and has been added to Robert’s list of favourite watering holes. A friend had recommended The Indian Brewery in Snow Hill in Birmingham and although we did not visit this time, we rather fortuitously found another branch as we got off the train in Solihull. The following day, after lunch with Robert’s parents and a successful exchange of gifts, we partook of a quiet nightcap […]
2021
Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd December 2021 Although some believe it it be the most important meal of the day, Martin eschews breakfast so while Liz and Martin went to visit the local chocolate museum on empty stomachs, we strolled to the highly recommended That’s Toast. This justifiably famous café provided us with a delicious start to the day in pleasant surroundings served by courteous and friendly staff: it is well worth a visit and we will certainly be returning next time we are in Lille for the Rugby World Cup in 2023. Lille was actually Flemish prior to its invasion by Louis XIV in 1667 and many of the historic buildings are testament to this. Later, walking through the city with Liz and Martin, we passed the Opéra de Lille – a fine neoclassical building completed in 1913. Nearby, the belfry of the Neo-Flemish Chamber of Commerce [or Nouvelle Bourse] rises a commanding 76 meters above the city. La Vieille Bourse, or Lille’s old stock exchange is said to be the finest building in the city, dating from the mid-17th century and it consists of 24 Flemish renaissance houses, all around a central arcaded courtyard. Over 350 years later […]
Monday 29th November to Thursday 2nd December 2021 We had originally planned to avoid any travel restrictions by going to Bath for the Christmas markets, but when restrictions lifted in the autumn our regular travelling companions, Liz and Martin, wanted to go further afield and we planned a trip to Brugge for three days, travelling back via Brussels and spending one night in the capital. However, as the date of our trip approached, Omicron cases were on the rise and countries were starting to impose more rigorous travel restrictions. Belgium implemented PCR tests and self isolation for those staying in the country for over 48 hours. We were therefore forced to revise our plans, reducing our time in Brugge by a day and travelling back via Lille in France instead of Brussels so that we were compliant. Liz and Martin were excited about taking their first trip on the Eurostar. Once in Brugge, we deposited our luggage then set out to get our bearings again and see the city as the sun went down and the light started to fade. The Markt, or old market square, is dominated by the 83 metre high Belfry and surrounded by old guild houses […]
Thursday 25th to Saturday 27th November 2021 Earlier in the year whilst restrictions were still in place we started planning a trip with friends to the Christmas market in Bath. Robert felt that this was too good an opportunity to miss and that it should be scheduled to coincide with a match at Bath RFC’s home ground at The Rec. Restrictions were subsequently eased and our friends voted to go further afield to Bruges for some foreign festive fun. By this time however Robert had his heart set on the rugby match and one of the things on Matilda’s wish list of (postponed) activities to celebrate her 60th birthday was a visit to the Thermae Bath Spa. Having had limited travel opportunities recently we decided we could afford the time and the money to visit both Bath and Bruges. Robert booked a two hour session at the Thermae Bath Spa on Thursday 25th and tickets to the Bath versus Exeter Chiefs match for Friday 26th November, not necessarily in that order. It was strangely satisfying to be boarding an intercity train again at Paddington and to find ourselves gliding out of the station on another railway adventure. Luckily when we […]
Wednesday 15th September 2021 Land’s End is undoubtedly beautiful but the site is also unashamedly commercial. As well as the spectacular craggy rocks, breaking waves and uninterrupted views there is a signpost giving the distances to New York and John O’Groats. During the day there is a man offering, for a price, personalised photo opportunities which include the date and individual messages on two extra panels. Before breakfast we seized the opportunity to avoid the queue and take a free photo at the Lands End signpost before the man reappeared. We had booked entry tickets to St Micheal’s Mount for 11:00. Usually a boat trip is to be anticipated and enjoyed but we found were a little disappointed that on the day of our visit we would not be able to walk The Causeway in either direction due to the tides. On the way over it seemed to be “Take your Dog to work Day”: a very chilled spaniel was supervising the crossing. The trip across to the little harbour is brief and a metal footprint at the top of the steps up to the quay marks the spot where Queen Victoria first set foot upon the island in 1846. […]
Tuesday 14th September 2021 The helicopter ran smoothly this time, if a little late, and as the first helicopter of the day rose . . . . . . we left blue seas surrounding Tresco and clear skies overhead. However, we were soon flying above the cloud cover and when we landed back on the mainland . . . . . . the skies were becoming more overcast. Following a tasty breakfast on the front in Penzance we walked along to the Art Deco Jubilee Pool. Matilda remarks on this every time she flies over: when seen from above the deep turquoise of the pool situated right by the sea is more vibrant than this photo reflects and it looks so very inviting. The Jubilee Pool is described as one of the best pre-war lido’s in the world. It originally opened in May 1935 and is a rare survivor from this hardier bygone age of open air swimming. It was damaged by storms in February 2014 but following major structural works reopened in May 2016. The large triangular seawater pool is usually a few degrees warmer than the sea and the water in it is replaced by tidal movements. In […]
Monday 13th September 2021 Once again the extreme tides meant that we would have more time than usual on St Martin’s and would therefore have time to walk all round the island, which is the northernmost of the inhabited onesmaking up the Isles of Scilly. The Firethorn dropped us at the quay in Higher Town. In what must surely be one of the most prosaic examples of place naming in the UK, the three main settlements on St Martin’s are called Higher Town, Middle Town and Lower Town, although it could be argued that the use of the word “town” must itself have required quite a feat of imagination: in the 2011 census the island reported a population of just 136. Initially we set off to walk anti-clockwise round the island towards the highest point at its northeast corner on Chapel Down, passing an unexpected vineyard on the way. The highest point is dominated by a large red and white striped daymark or unlighted beacon, reminiscent of the upper section of Tintin’s rocket, which was visible from some distance across the bays and inlets as we walked. The date above the blocked, arched doorway on the daymark reads 1637 but […]
Sunday 12th September 2021 After seeing people floating seemingly effortlessly around Coniston Water and Lake Bala, Robert had been keen to try stand up paddle-boarding [SUP]. We had also seen people inflating them in a car park in Llanberis and so he felt it would be possible to fit them in Al, the camper van. Since a minimum water level is required for a SUP, this was also affected by the tides but we found we could catch the boat to Bryher and hire them from the very helpful people at Hut 62 then catch the boat back. On arrival we were given a life jacket, a SUP and a paddle each and then a brief lesson. It is important not to drag or beach a SUP in case the fin snaps off. Paddle-boarding is all about balance and core strength, neither of which are Matilda’s strong points. She did not manage to stand up from kneeling on the board but her swimming costume did stay dry. She felt she should have practised this on dry land in advance. Robert, however, after a slightly shaky start, managed to stand up and move smoothly round the bay. Although Matilda stayed kneeling, […]
Saturday 11th September 2021 Once again there were limited boats we could catch from Tresco because of the extreme tides. However, this also meant that we would have more time on the island we visited. We therefore waved goodbye to the girls at our cottage and set off to catch a boat to St Mary’s. On the quayside, we saw the helicopter arrive, running only a little late, and watched as it left with the girls on board. Once on St Mary’s we set off to walk around the entire island. The coastal path goes up past Juliet’s and then on to . . . . . . the ancient Iron Age village at Halangy Down. The site was inhabited until around 600-700 AD and the ruins here were uncovered between 1964 and 1977. Much of the stone from the site was removed in the 19th century to build a new pier at Hugh Town. Providing you have line of sight to this modern telecoms tower, you can get a 4G signal on the islands so not everywhere is covered. St Mary’s is known as the site of the tower from which Marconi heard wireless signals transmitted over 30 miles […]
Thursday 9th and Friday 10th September 2021 Since the tide continues to fall as you walk between Tresco and Bryher we had been advised to start walking about 30 minutes before the tide reached its lowest point. About an hour and a half before that, the crossing looked like this. The water soon receded. Eagle-eyed Jaime spotted a baby cuttlefish about the size of a thumbnail in the shallows. Even though it appeared almost transparent, it managed to squirt out a significant amount of black ink in an attempt to scare us off. Although it is called a walking tide . . . . . . on this day it was more like paddling. It was important to watch where you put your feet. Matilda asked the girls to look for interesting shells so that she could keep them as mementoes and say she had picked them up, if not exactly off the ocean floor, then perhaps off the seabed. All four of us . . . . . . made it across safely. Having reached Bryher we had to wait for the tide to rise so that we could catch a boat back. We took a walk . . […]
Wednesday 8th September 2021 After the travel stresses of the previous evening, we decided to treat ourselves to breakfast at the Flying Boat Café and Deli [see Dish of the day]. The extreme low and correspondingly high tides have an impact on the timings of both the Scillonian and the boats between the various islands so although we would have liked to go to St Mary’s to meet our daughters, we found we might not have been able to get the first boat after they landed back to Tresco with them as this was reserved for new arrivals. We therefore stayed on the island to wait for the girls to appear. Matilda had cajoled both daughters into coming to Tresco this year as it coincided with a “walking tide” – one that is low enough to allow people to walk between Tresco and Bryher. At 0.6m it was slightly higher than is recommended for the crossing but it was good enough for us. To fill the time before our daughters’ delayed arrival we took a stroll to the point where it is recommended people start the walk to make sure we knew where to begin the next day. Some people […]
Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th September 2021 We like to break up the journey to the Scillies and take in a few interesting sights on the way. This year our first overnight stay was Charlestown where we had a lovely view over the harbour from our room window. We had visited briefly last year and decided it was so picturesque it would be worth an overnight stay to allow us to sample the local hostelries . . . . . . and the atmosphere at the harbour-side bars in the evening. Well rested after an uncharacteristic lie-in we took a quick stroll in the morning before leaving to take a look at St Austell. Matilda had been expecting a castle keep on a mound, based purely on the brewery logo, but instead we found St Austell Market House which is apparently said to be “the jewel in St Austell’s crown”. During the middle ages markets and fairs were often held in churchyards, but Edward III passed a law prohibiting such events on church land and markets therefore had to relocate. Records show that in 1791 a small market building stood here but the successful town outgrew it and in 1842 […]
Thursday 26th August 2021 As always on these historic railways, the steam engines on the Bala Lake Railway are lovingly restored and cared for with gleaming paintwork and highly polished copper domes. The track was built 150 years ago but was re-opened for passengers in 1972 and follows the shoreline of Llyn Tegid, or Lake Bala, which is the largest natural lake in Wales. Although we had not booked to travel on this line, we went to see one of the trains arriving and . . . . . . watched while they restoked the engine and moved it to the front of the carriages [See Video of the day]. From here, Liz and Martin set off to cycle along the shores of the lake whilst we headed south to Codsall, near Walsall, to visit Robert’s uncle and cousins. It was lovely to be able to catch up after such a long and trying time. We then stayed in a very quiet motorhome site close by prior to travelling home the following day. There are many more trains to ride and we will surely be returning to Wales at some point [Robert will be in October!]. Video of the day:
Wednesday 25th August 2021 Allow us to preface this post with an apology. Those of you who are keen followers may notice that the videos here feature the sister site, Robert on the Rails’ logo. Robert tells Matilda this was a genuine administrative error and not a blatant attempt to promote across the two sites. At LLanberis, Robert was pleased to see that, before the first train of the day leaves, you can watch the fire being stoked and the engines taking on water, in order to get up steam, outside the National Slate Museum. . . . . . which is situated right by the station in the Dinorwig Quarry workshops. Getting our priorities in the right order, we planned to visit the museum after our train ride. We were to be pulled by the engine Dolbadarn, which like all the engines on the line, was rescued from the Dinorwig slate quarries and restored to work the Llanberis Lake Railway. The Llanberis Lake Railway runs alongside Padarn Lake to Penllyn and back. Back at Llanberis station we were able to admire Thomas Bach at work. Thomas was the other steam engine operating that day. But not that Thomas Rising […]
Tuesday 24th August 2021 Liz and Martin again gave us a lift to Porthmadog but this time they were joining us on the 10:15 Glaslyn Venturer from Porthmadog to Beddgelert. This time there was no need to position Matilda as gatekeeper of the carriage as we had pre-booked a premium spot in one of two observation compartments. There are panoramic windows, plush seats for six with small tables and, even at this hour in the morning, Matilda and Liz felt they should be sipping champagne wearing 1930s cocktail dresses. It seems not everyone was buying into the experience with the same enthusiasm. Instead of traversing The Cob, this time we set off in the opposite direction, through Porthmadog itself. We started the journey at the rear of the train with uninterrupted views back down the track. And being at the back of the train provides the opportunity . . . . . . to see the engine and the train as they curve around bends in the track in front. Hot air rises. We know this. But it was nevertheless eerie to see the steam emerging from an uphill tunnel behind us as though a Welsh dragon lurked within breathing […]
Monday 23rd August 2021 It seems that some people feel [mistakenly] that there is such a thing as too many steam trains in one week and our group had therefore opted to follow their divergent interests with Liz and Martin heading off for a serious walk whilst Robert and Matilda went in search of locomotives. Liz and Martin kindly gave us a lift to Porthmadog in time for the 10:00 Woodland Wanderer service from Porthmadog. Our train was to be pulled by the engine Welsh Pony over The Cob to Minffordd, through Penrhyn and on to Tan-y-bwlch. The start of the journey is particularly enjoyable as is travels across The Cob . . . . . . a large embankment with water on either side which took four years to construct and was completed in 1811. Although the journey on a narrow guage train slowly rising to altitude along track flanked by lush vegetation and mountain views reminded us both of the Darjeeling Railway, whenever the track traversed the road it was thankfully marked by gated level crossings so we were spared the incessant hooting and the journey was both beautiful and peaceful. The route took us past the engine […]