Tuesday 3rd May 2022 Under current restrictions, passengers are required to test negative within the 24 hours prior to boarding a flight to America and so we had independently verified Covid lateral flow tests arranged for 15:00. As rain was forecast we had booked a guided coach tour, which would keep us inside and out of the rain for the morning, to the lava tunnel at Raufarhólshellir, blissfully unaware that this excursion was to become the cause of all of Robert’s issues on the following day. As always in Iceland, the geology was impressive. The lava tube is 4,500 feet long and is one of the longest known lava tubes in Europe. Lava tubes are underground and are usually discovered only when a section of the “roof” caves in. At Raufarhólshellir, the roof has collapsed in several places and there are still snow drifts inside left over from the winter. Lava tubes are only formed during the course of effusive eruptions. If the magma has low viscosity the dissolved gases can escape from it easily and when the magma reaches the surface it forms lava flows which move slowly and steadily along the ground, melting the rock beneath it and […]
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Friday 18th to Monday 21st February 2022 Having swapped the warmth of Italy and the comfort of a spacious room at the Savoy Hotel in Rome for a seven foot wide narrowboat with considerably less floor space, Matilda is once again questioning her sanity. We reunited with The Duke and our friends Liz and Martin who had been aboard whilst we were away, accompanied this time by Ralf, our Lakeland Terrier and Storm Eunice. Although this is not a name which exudes menace, Eunice added about four hours to the drive up to our rendezvous at the Cape of Good Hope, near Warwick. The motorway was at a standstill, first while a fallen tree was cleared from the carriageway and then for a lorry which had been blown onto its side across three lanes. Thankfully it looked as though the driver had been rescued through the windscreen. After that the M40 was closed completely but as our Sat Nav had helpfully offered an alternative route we were at least able to continue along A roads with Ralf, who is not particularly used to car travel, becoming increasingly desperate in the back. When we finally arrived, it was enough just to […]
Firenze Thursday 10th and Friday 11th February 2022 After a leisurely start; and a stroll to look at the Palazzo Blu, home of the current Keith Haring exhibition . . . . . . followed by a coffee in the sunshine and a little retail therapy in Pisa we crossed the road from the hotel to the station and we were once again able to catch an earlier train than we had booked. No-one checked our tickets before we boarded or whilst we were on the train. But as there were plenty of available spaces; we had already paid and the seats weren’t reserved we didn’t feel too guilty. We arrived in Firenze and as we stepped out of the station Robert declared this building to be one of the ugliest he has ever seen. And he has seen a few stations over the years. Designed in 1932 it replaced the original station built in 1848, which we were sure must have been more decorative. Matilda felt it was particularly unfortunate given that Firenze is known as a centre of beautiful Renaissance art and architecture. We walked to our hotel right by the Duomo and took the elevator, complete with […]
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 […]
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 […]
Sunday 22nd August 2021 The royal town of Caernarfon lies opposite the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales on the eastern shore of the Menai Straits with Snowdonia rising to the east and south-east. Prince Charles was invested as the Prince of Wales here in 1969. Due to continuing restrictions we had pre-booked a number of things just to be sure and we had agreed in advance to visit Caernarfon city and Castle with Liz and Martin on the following day. They kindly agreed to drive us there in their camper van – Connie – as she is smaller and therefore easier to drive down country roads than Al. We had timed tickets and just managed a quick coffee before going in. Caernarfon is steeped in history from Roman times onwards. William the Conqueror ordered a castle built here as part of an unsuccessful attempt to invade Wales and it now boasts the highest percentage of Welsh speaking citizens anywhere in Wales. The displays emphasise the royal heritage with perhaps a nod to the popularity of Game of Thrones. Even partially in ruins, it is an impressive site. A one way system has been introduced so that you no longer […]
Friday 18th June 2021 One of the reasons for downsizing the motorhome to Al was that Matilda had said she would consider driving a smaller vehicle. Although this proves that she can, she does not find it entirely comfortable as her feet did not quite reach the floor and felt as though they were floating she felt this may not provide the best pedal control. Robert was keen to teach her how to use the cruise control but Matilda was adamant that she would take one step at a time. On the way to Coniston, we stopped off at Kendal to visit the Herdy Shop [see Selfie of the day]. It just has to be done. We had pre-booked to go on the Steam Yacht [SY] Gondola on Coniston Water. Launched in 1859 she was built for the Furness Railway and is a screw-propelled, steam-powered vessel. In commercial use until 1936 when she was retired she was converted into a houseboat a decade later. Acquired by the National Trust in the 1970s the derelict vessel was restored and was put back into service in 1979. We watched it return from an earlier cruise. The vessel, originally Victorian, has been rebuilt […]
Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th September 2020 On our way from Exeter to Fowey [pronounced to rhyme with “joy”] we stopped in Bodmin at a garden centre for an al fresco coffee with a dear friend, Angela: we refrained from using the words “old friend” but we used to visit her on our way down to Tresco with our daughters almost 20 years ago. The intervening years seemed to melt away and it was so lovely to catch up. We have promised each other “the same time next year” and hope to make it a regular event. From here we drove on to Fowey which is going to be the base for our forthcoming day trips to re-visit the Eden Project and see the Lost Gardens of Heligan for the first time. Fowey is a long-established port which has existed since before the Norman invasion and which is perched on steep cliffs on the estuary of the River Fowey itself. Robert had booked us into The Ship Inn near the harbour and had been advised to park in the main car park and walk to the town. Whilst this seemed an eminently sensible suggestion in the downwards direction, Matilda found she […]
Thursday, March 12th 2020 At the end of January we returned to the UK from our one month trip to Lapland, Finland, eastern Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. At this stage we had three cruises booked [deposits paid] as well as some rail journeys booked and paid for. For many big hotel chains you can book six to nine months in advance and if you pay in advance you can often save over 20% of the cost of the hotel booking and we had taken advantage of this discount. As the booking stage of this trip geared up during the first two weeks of February 2020 there came the announcement from China of a new virus that was starting to spread amongst humans – a new strain of coronavirus named COVID-19. It was at this stage that we were going through the process of applying for our visas to Russia, Belarus, Mongolia, China and the US. It soon became clear that travel to China in April 2020 was going to be ill-advised if not impossible. So we had to re-plan without passing through China. We could only skip China by not using the train but by flying over it! As […]
Friday 3rd January 2020 Before checking out of our hotel we decided to go for a walk around Rovaniemi. However, rain overnight and an unseasonably warm spell had resulted in a thaw and re-freeze which made the pavements truly treacherous whilst the snow sculpture from yesterday’s Selfie of the day had completely collapsed. [Robert had a heavy fall last night, made worse by his successful attempt to save the late night chips]. We walked very carefully down to the Jätkänkynttilä Bridge. This was the winning entry in a competition held in 1982/3 and as the design is intended to pay homage to the city’s logging heritage, it is also known as the Lumberjack Candle Bridge. According to Matilda’s research a lumberjack candle is a popular form of outdoor lighting/heating made by repeatedly sawing partway down a log to create equal sized triangular segments. You can use the wood shavings this creates, or other combustible material, to light a fire in the central channel which will apparently burn for sometime providing light and heat to cook by. A total of 36 sodium fluorescent lights burn night and day at the top of the two main columns on the Jätkänkynttilä Bridge. The […]
Wednesday 4th December to Thursday 5th December 2019 It was a pleasure to be returning to the beautiful city of Bath and we were blessed both by good company and sunshine. Having pre-booked timed entry tickets to the Roman Baths for the following day we strolled around and were pleased to see that a local restaurant was promoting us. We visited Bath Abbey where . . . . . . a major refurbishment project is underway to repair the floor which is collapsing. Outside, the Bath Christmas Market takes over much of the city centre and roads are closed to traffic. It offers all the usual stalls, but mid-week, away from the week-end crowds, and in such a beautiful setting it was one of the most pleasant such markets we have visited. We walked up to the Royal Crescent as the sun was sinking in the sky. We then tried some restorative mulled cider in the “Apres-Ski Bar”. After some Christmas shopping, more refreshment was required and, naturally, Robert could not resist a beer named Stouty McStout Face. The next day we returned to visit the Roman Baths, walking through the Christmas Market . . . . . . .and […]
Thursday, 14th November 2019 Following a leisurely breakfast, we set off to walk round Marrakech. Our walk led us along tree-lined boulevards with wide pavements to the Koutoubia Mosque. The city was founded in 1062 by Youssef ben Tachfin, the leader of a tribe of nomadic warrior monks known as the Almoravids and it became Morocco’s second capital. In 1147 the Almohads took over control of Morocco’s major cities and it was under this dynasty that the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech was built. The minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque rises proudly above Marrakech and dominates the skyline. Its continued supremacy is due to a century old piece of legislation introduced under French colonial rule which remains on the statute books to this day: it is decreed that no building in the Medina (old city) should be taller than a palm tree and no building in the New City should rise above the height of the Koutoubia minaret. We were unsure whether all palm tress are aware of this restriction or whether one might, inadvertently, in a season of plentiful water and in a burst of ecological enthusiasm exceed the accepted height. The minaret itself is 77 meters tall and complies […]
Thursday 12th September 2019 The plan was to go up the Eiffel Tower early and when we arrived there were signs alerting visitors to the fact that the upper level might be forced to close. We therefore decided to go to the very top first and work our way down. The views are impressive, with the River Seine snaking its way through the city to left and right . . . . . . while the Champ-de-Mars spreads out toward the Place Joffre and the École Militaire. Partly due to its sheer height – the Eiffel Tower measures 324 metres to the tip – even famous landmarks can be hard to identify and we struggled to find Sacré Coeur from the platform at the summit, although we found it could be seen clearly silhouetted against the sky from the lower viewing platform. Apparently Gustave Eiffel built himself a small apartment at the top of the tower where, accompanied by his daughter Claire, he hosted exclusive receptions for important guests. This has been staged to show the visit by Thomas Edison on 10 September 1889, when he gave Gustave Eiffel a model of the famous phonograph which he had just presented […]
Sunday, 18th August 2019 We awarded ourselves a lie-in after the sporting disappointment of the previous day and had a leisurely breakfast before setting out. The day’s destination was to be St Fagans National Museum of History where various buildings have been relocated or reconstructed to show how people in Wales have lived through the ages. A bus from outside our hotel took us all the way there. The buildings include the recreated Bryn Eryr Iron Age roundhouses which host educational sessions during term time. The relocated St Teilo’s church has been refurbished, complete with enchanting mediaeval murals, to reflect how it may have appeared around 1530, before Henry VIII started to break with the Roman Catholic Church in 1532. The Gwalia Stores meanwhile offers a retro retail opportunity circa the outbreak of WWI where . . . . . . many of the brands and much of the packaging on the wooden shelving was nevertheless familiar. Each of the Rhyd-y-car Terrace of six cottages, originally built around 1795 for mine workers, is furbished to reflect a different period: 1805, 1855, 1895, 1925, 1955 and 1985. It is fascinating to take a stroll through time as you walk the length […]
Friday 28th – Saturday 29th June 2019 Our overnight ferry from Toulon, originally scheduled to depart at 21:00, was delayed by several hours. We had hoped for a picturesque departure at sunset but it was already dark when we finally boarded at close to 23:00. The concierge proudly informed us that our cabin had a window but it was not until the morning we realised we were right at the stern with views over the wake. Unfortunately, this also meant that we were above the engine room. Although we were safely tucked up in bed and dozing by the time all the cars, motorhomes and lorries had been loaded and the ship was ready to depart we were wide awake as soon as the captain and pilot revved up the engines to manoeuvre their way out of port. Everything in the cabin – the doors, the prefabricated shower and toilet unit, the aforementioned window, the bed and the metal ladder for the optional extra berth – seemed to rattle, shake or squeak in a discordant cacophony. Fortunately, as we braced ourselves for a sleepless night on board we must have reached open sea; the side thrusters were turned off […]
Thursday 23rd May 2019 Our first full day on Tresco was to be a day of celebration and planning. Our two daughters were travelling to join us and Ruth had completed the viva for her masters the day before. We took the fast boat from New Grimsby quay . . . . . . back to Saint Mary’s, strolled around the town briefly then went to meet them on the quay to travel back together. We identified a number of places we hoped to visit and activities to do and went to check availability and prices. A ticket one way on the fast boat between St Mary’s and Tresco is £10. So with four adult fares on every journey, the cost soon adds up. However, you can hire a boat from Hut 62 for £100 per day and be master of your own destiny, although there are some limitations: you are not allowed to go to St Mary’s, for example, or beyond Cromwell’s Castle. The three female Herds all felt in need of a massage and we found we could only book these for Sunday morning. Looking at the weather forecast, Friday seemed to be the best day for hiring […]