Read this blog: The one where we remember the fallen of WWI Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th October 2023 The following morning, we left Brugge and drove towards Ypres and the Sanctuary Wood Museum and the nearby Hill 62 where the memorial bears the inscription Here in Sanctary Wood and on the Hooghe-St. Elooi, the British fought for the defence of Ypres. This is a very sparse description for such a huge military undertaking and the considerable and tragic loss of life. The place was named Sanctuary Wood because of the extreme quietness there. However it was also the site of extreme conflict. From 2nd to 6th June 1916 the German army mounted a ferocious and determined attack. A week later on 13th June 1916, the British unleashed a counter-attack which, according the leaflet we were given, ‘annihilated the German gain’. There is an extensive display of munitions, equipment and uniforms from WWI and trench periscopes have been adapted to show photographs almost as though you are looking back in time. Having been forced to keep our distance from people during lockdown, the instruments of hand to hand combat seemed particularly shocking. However, by far the most striking exhibit has […]
2023
Read this blog: The one where we discovered hidden beer Monday 9th October 2023 Having seen our last live match of the Rugby World Cup we drove from Lille to the beautiful city of Brugge to stay one night at the aire close to the train station where we have stayed several times before. It is just a short walk from here to the historic centre and some of our favourite bars and cafés. Before leaving Lille early to avoid paying any parking charges, Robert had promised Matilda breakfast at That’s Toast [see Dish of the day] so this was our first port of call. Once refreshed we strolled around, reacquainting ourselves with this beautiful city. Unsurprisingly, the route Robert chose took us past ‘t Brugs Beertje so that we could confirm the opening time of 16:00 for this legendary bar which serves around 300 Belgian beers. We then walked to Markt, the central square which is dominated by the 83 m high medieval Belfort or belfry. We passed the Biermuseum and as, despite being relatively regular visitors, neither of us had ever been inside we thought we would have a look round. In a city where the bars and […]
![RWC #10: The end of the Pool stage [in more ways than one]](https://i0.wp.com/iciel.uk/imagesTH/23-07-RWC/Post10/23-07-10-feature.jpeg?resize=570%2C350&ssl=1)
Read this blog: The one where we really wanted to take a dip Friday 6th to Sunday 8th October 2023 The following day we drove to Reims, parked up in the aire by the football pitch and strolled into the city where we found Pub L’escale which would be showing the France vs Italy game. Locals were keen to befriend us as we had taken poll position at a table with a good view of the TV. Rugby fans are [almost] always good-natured but Matilda was unimpressed when a Frenchman challenged her for applauding some good play by the Italians. Where was his sense of fair play? It was clear quite early on in the match that France would win, and one try would not have had much of an impact. We had originally planned to leave earlier in the evening but after a certain amount of beer the munchies kicked in and Robert ordered a little something extra at the bar. Matilda suggested we create a “Snack of the day” category in which case this would be the first entry. It may not become a regular feature. The following day we drove to Roubaix, near Lille, and sought advice […]
Read this blog: The one where we slowly begin to remember Monday 2nd to Thursday 5th October 2023 Having decided to postpone our visit to Dijon for another trip, Robert booked an extra night at the campsite in Lyon so that we could relax and have extended time in one place to see some sights and do our laundry. Sad but true. When we arrived we were told that the swimming pool would be closing that night for the season. Since it was sunny and hot, we felt we would stay on site and make use of the pool as it would be our only opportunity to do so. As we chilled in the pool we also planned to spread our culture and sightseeing over two half days. Late the following morning we travelled into the centre to retrace our footsteps and reacquaint ourselves with the old city. Arriving on the metro at Vieux Lyon, we took the FI funicular [which was already waiting in the station] up to Minimes (Théâtres Romains) to see the amphitheatre. Robert said we had taken this route before although Matilda definitely recalls Robert making her walk up the hill in the heat last time […]
Read this blog: The one where we sample the spa waters of Vichy Saturday 30th September 2023 In the morning we drove to the lovely spa town of Vichy. As with many natural springs, the Romans set the precedent and established a settlement here in the first century AD, known as Vicus Calidus or Aquæ Calidæ [hot water]. We set up our own encampment at Parc Camping les Acacias in Bellerive-sur-Allier, across the river from Vichy itself. The campsite is quiet now and many of the facilities are closed for the end of the season but it has swimming pools and a water slide which would be great for families in the summer. However, since our pitch is right next to the water slide, we appreciate the comparative peace and quiet at the end of the season. There is a gate leading straight out onto the embankment and we took a pleasant riverside stroll into Vichy itself. The city became a fashionable destination in the late eighteenth century when the French aristocracy began visiting to take the waters for therapeutic reasons and the Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte I himself originally ordered the creation of the Parcs des Sources, an oasis where […]
Read this blog: The one where we revisit Reims Wednesday 27th to Saturday 30th September 2023 We set off early in Al the Motorhome to travel through the Channel Tunnel to Calais. The last time we took a motorhome to Europe in 2018 it was the original [larger] version of Alan and before any additional restrictions resulting from Brexit or Covid. On that journey we took our dog Ralf and whilst we were more or less waived through, he had to have been vaccinated against rabies; have his own pet passport; be seen for a health check by a vet before leaving the UK and be seen again by a vet within 24 hours of leaving Europe to return. We were so grateful to our friends Richard and Mandie for their hospitality and their support on this previous visit and for making an appointment for Ralf with their vet. This time there were border controls and stamps in our passports before we could board Le Shuttle. From Calais it was almost a straight motorway down to Reims – our first stopping off point on our way to watch New Zealand play Italy in Lyon – and we were struck by how little […]
Read this blog: The one where we enjoy an Ireland win over South Africa Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September 2023 We arrived at Gare de Lille Flandres and made our way to what we thought was our hotel. Unfortunately Robert had found directions to the Hotel Mercure Lille Centre Grand Place not the Hotel Mercure Lille Centre Vieux-Lille who actually held our booking. Another short walk took us to the correct destination and from there we went in search of a bar showing the Argentina vs Samoa game. We found a square with a pleasant hostelry called Le Django with welcoming bar staff which was going to show the match and which soon filled up with amiable fans from multiple visiting nations. The England vs Chile match was due to kick off at 17:45 on Saturday and our daughter Ruth and her friend Breesha were travelling over late on Friday. We planned to meet them on Saturday morning and make our way to the ground together. Breakfast was not included in our booking and Matilda was looking forward to returning to That’s Toast. Unfortunately, after some confusion on Matilda’s part which was compounded by an error in a previous […]
Read this blog: The one where French rugby fans share their rillettes Tuesday 19th to Friday 22nd September 2023 Any journey to or from the Scillies is time consuming and it is even more so if you have to go beyond the UK and get to the south of France. There was low cloud as we left Tresco and it was even lower when we arrived in Penzance. One fellow passenger had told us that they had once reached the mainland and still turned back because of fog. We were really not sure whether the cloud would shortly be classed as fog and prevent us from landing. But thankfully we landed safely on the mainland and Scilly Parking provided a very reliable taxi service between the heliport and the station in time to catch our scheduled train, despite slight flight delays. We got off at Reading to catch the extended Elizabeth Line to Heathrow. It seems very strange to be on a tube line so far from the capital. We stayed overnight at Heathrow ready to catch an early flight to Marseille. As usual Robert had researched and planned the journey from the airport into the Vieux Port area and […]
Read this blog: The one where we celebrate a sixtieth Monday 11th to Tuesday 19th September 2023 Leaving the RWC 2023 behind in France, we flew from Lyon to London City Airport and then caught the overnight train to Penzance, known as the Night Riviera Sleeper, to catch the helicopter over to Tresco. Matilda always feels the need to hug Paddington when she passes. She loved the books as a child and remembers her aunt Judith, who worked in a children’s bookshop when Matilda was young, getting her a copy each time a new Paddington book was published. Sometimes they were even signed by the author. The carriages and sleeping compartments [right] on the Night Riviera Sleeper have been updated since we last took this train but the name sounds more glamorous than it actually is. There is also a new helicopter in operation on the route from Penzance to Tresco. On our flight, the passengers were all travelling as couples and the ground crew asked for a volunteer to sit alone in one of the front two seats [just behind the pilot] to balance the load. Both Matilda and Robert happily volunteered as did another gentleman sitting in the […]
Read this blog: The one where we aim to confuse Sunday 10th September 2023 The morning after England’s first win of the tournament, we left Marseille by train to travel to Nice. For several years now we have been secretly plotting with our friend Belinda to host a surprise sixtieth birthday holiday on Tresco for her and her husband John. Part of the surprise involved us maintaining the fiction that we were staying in France for the RWC, rather than travelling back to the UK. Our trip to Nice, the next RWC venue for England, was in fact a cover for the fact that we would be flying home from there to avoid the thousands of fans travelling back from Marseille. Although we were not staying for the next match, we would have most of a day and one night in Nice, hopefully throwing a dummy pass to keep John guessing. Matilda wanted to look at some of the sights despite the heat. She suggested a visit to the Russian Orthodox Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas, which is apparently the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Western Europe. However, as official tour guide, Robert exercised his power of veto and refused to include it […]
Read this blog: The one where we see England triumph against the odds Friday 8th and Saturday 9th September 2023 On Friday evening, Robert wanted to soak up the atmosphere in and around the bars of Marseille and watch both the RWC 2023 opening ceremony and the inaugural match between France and New Zealand. Various FanZones had been set up including one by the entry to the Metro at Vieux Port but these did not seem very popular and we found ourselves seats with a view of a TV screen outside The Queen Victoria, in the Vieux Port in Marseille. Matches were scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday so fans for all the competing teams had gathered in the sunshine and mingled good-naturedly. We were surprised by how many Scotsmen were wearing their kilts, since the Scotland game was not scheduled until Sunday, but we were told that kilts are so heavy, it is better to wear them to travel rather than risk being charged for overweight luggage. Without any commentary, the opening ceremony was rather confusing but we later discovered that it was based on Les Miserables. Unfortunately, The Queen Victoria found that three cubicle toilets were not able […]
Read this blog: The one where we kick off our RWC campaign Wednesday 6th to Thursday 7th September 2023 When Robert bought tickets to the Rugby World Cup [RWC] in March 2021 transport and accommodation for the various venues were instantly in high demand. Our first destination was the England vs Argentina match in Marseille, scheduled for the day after the opening ceremony. Robert therefore planned that it would be easier to fly to Lyon and spend a few days travelling down to Marseille. We flew from Heathrow and spent a day travelling. By the time we checked in to our hotel in Lyon we were feeling the beginnings of heat exhaustion and lacked the energy to return to the centre so settled for a chilled beer and a Caesar salad in our hotel. We will be returning to Lyon in Al the motor home later in our [RWC] campaign and so will be able to see some of the sights of Lyon at our leisure then. The next morning we were booked to travel by train to Avignon. Unfortunately we had just boarded a Metro line B train when it was announced that there were technical difficulties and trains […]
Read this blog: the one where Sally says a fond farewell to Bay House, Tresco Tuesday 16th to Saturday 27th May 2023 This was to be the last year of Robert’s parents’ 30 year time-share at Bay House on Tresco and his mother, Sally, invited us and our sister-in-law, Caroline, to join her. Unfortunately Robert’s father’s health means he is no longer able to travel such distances. We arrived on Tuesday 16th May, a day later than our companions, and as Matilda still had the ear ache which first manifested itself on the mainland she went straight to the Estate Office to ask what her options were. She was given the number and advised to call the medical centre on St Mary’s. The receptionist who answered had clearly undergone the appropriate training. She exhibited the traditional professionally prickly persona and suggested Matilda phone her GP at home. However, when Matilda explained that she used to work in the NHS and that all the telephone consultations at her surgery were likely to have been allocated within half an hour of the lines opening at 08:00 that morning, she grudgingly made an appointment for the GP to call her later that day. When […]
Read this blog: The one where we visit two of The Beatles’ childhood homes. Wednesday 23rd August 2023 The childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney are both now owned and managed by the National Trust. You have to book a tour in advance to visit them and choose a pick up point: those who are driving are advised to go to Speke Hall, another National Trust property where there is plenty of parking space and those who come by train can be picked up from Liverpool South Parkway Station. Tour groups are limited to 15 taking into account the size of the houses and the capacity of the minibus itself. We drove to Speke Hall and waited for the dedicated minibus which rather satisfyingly includes the slogan, ‘Visit The Beatles’ Childhood Homes’ on the side [see feature photo]. Several groups were waiting including two women who, it transpired, had missed their booking and were hoping to join another tour. We could tell from the body language as they spoke to him that the driver was not very optimistic. As Matilda is a life member of the National Trust entry was free for both of us but there is […]
Read this blog: The one where Robert admired Urinals Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd August 2023 Having said a fond farewell to the fruity folly which is The Pineapple, we dropped our daughters at Larbert Station to travel home by train while we set off for Liverpool. Both Robert and Matilda have visited before. As a student Robert came to play a rugby match against a local college and as a child, Matilda came on a family visit back to her father’s roots [he had cousins living in the city and was a life-long Everton supporter.] The only thing Matilda really remembers is the Roman Catholic cathedral which seemed so modern. The building which seems to have made the most impact on Robert, however, was The Philharmonic Dining Rooms and, in particular, the richly tiled urinals there. Some readers may not be at all surprised. Having checked in to our hotel, we decided to walk around the city to get our bearings and as the hotel was close to the docks, we walked down to Pier Head to see the waterfront, past the imposing buildings known collectively as the Three Graces [see feature photo]. They comprise from left to right, […]
Read this blog: The one where we visit a Scottish win. Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August 2023 We started our exploration of the local area on Saturday morning by visiting the historic site of the Battle of Bannockburn. This battle took place on 23rd and 24th June 1314, between the army of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots and the army of King Edward II of England. It was a turning point in the First War of Independence between Scotland and England: a decisive victory for Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn effectively re-established independence for the Scots although it was not officially declared until 14 years later in 1328. The visitor centre is well worth the entrance fee. A very enthusiastic and knowledgable guide explained the movements of troops as we stood looking down on a sunken 3D map of the area. He described how the terrain had influenced various decisions the leaders on each side had made and ultimately contributed to the outcome of the battle. Matilda had not thought that battle and troop movements could be so interesting. The visitor centre is child-friendly and there are activities as well as interactive displays. Apparently you are never too […]