Saturday 4th January 2020 As we walked to breakfast, although sunrise was not for another couple of hours, light was slowly rising over the Apukka Resort. An ice wall and two slides have been constructed out of the snow and ice here and rubber rings are provided as the means of transport down the slides. When we checked in we were encouraged to use the slides and have fun. However, it is possible that they were constructed with slightly younger children than ours in mind as our daughters managed to build up a fair amount of momentum. As well as yesterday’s Aurora Husky Tour, we had also pre-booked the Aurora Snowmobiling Tour making sure we had a snowmobile each. The Apukka Resort brochure clearly states that, in order to take part in the Aurora Snowmobiling Tour, you need to be in possession of a driving licence which is valid/accepted in the EU. In addition, there is a zero tolerance policy for alcohol or other mind-altering substances. One couple who had booked on the tour were sitting in reception with an open bottle of wine just before we were due to depart. They both failed a breathalyser test and were not […]
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Friday, 15th November 2019 Matilda had identified the eponymous Art Deco Jardin Majorelle as today’s “must do” visit and became quite excited when Robert suggested catching the Marrakech hop on hop off bus as the means of getting there. There was a convenient stop outside our hotel, opposite the Menara Mall. Although many cities have them, Robert will never normally contemplate these hop on hop off buses. However, in Marrakech one ticket provides multiple trips on two different routes – a red “historic” route and a green “oasis” route – over a 48 hour period and the green route finishes at the Jardin Majorelle. Initially we took the red historic route, past the Koutoubia Mosque . . . . . . and Bab Agnaou which once marked the main entrance to the Almohad Palace. The red and the green routes converge at stop number one and we changed here onto the green route which is more rural and offers views of the hills to the north of Marrakech . . . . . . and hilltop fortifications. We were told when we got on our first bus that two out of three buses on the red route had audio commentary […]
Sunday 30th June – Monday 1st July 2019 Because of the tight corners needed to negotiate the gradient of the inland mountains, the Corsican trains run on narrow gauge track and they are some of the most scenic routes in Europe. In contrast to the Himalayan trains in India however, the rolling stock is modern and significantly more comfortable. The train from Bastia to Calvi travels southwards down the east coast then cuts across the central mountains to the west of the island. It then travels along the western coast past the beautiful beaches at L’Île Rousse, Corbara and Algajola. As we arrived on the train, Calvi Citadel is proudly visible at the far end of the bay. The Citadel here presents a more complete profile to the world than its equivalent in Bastia and impressive bastions overlook the sea on three sides. Like the Citadel at Bastia, it was also built by the Genoese as protection for the port and local trade. Quay Landry runs along the side of the marina and port and offers a wealth of waterside ice cream parlours, cafes and bars with parasols to provide shade and is the perfect spot to cool down and […]
Friday 24th May 2019 The weather forecast meant that Friday was the best day to hire a boat from Hut 62 on Bryher. Our boat was delivered to the jetty in front of Bay House and we were given life jackets, a chart, a basic first aid kit and a training session. Because the tidal range makes such a difference to the water level between the various islands, on a few days each year the water is actually low enough for people to walk between Tresco and Bryher and Robert has done this in the past. We were therefore advised to take a small one-man dinghy with us, allowing one of us to drop the others, then take the boat into deeper water to moor and return to shore in the dinghy, so that the boat did not become beached. As we crossed towards Bryher to collect the dinghy, a helicopter flew overhead. To help to manage the tidal range we were also advised to go to the farthest point we wished to visit and then return as the tide was going out. We planned to finish our day trip on Bryher where we could spend a few hours while […]
Wednesday, 1st May 2019 Returning by train to Barcelona, we had again planned ahead and booked tickets online, this time to visit the Palau de la Musica Catalana in the afternoon. This beautiful modernist building was designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner as a venue for the Orfeo Catala to perform a repertoire of Catalan choral music. Located on the site of a former monastery, the building is compact and views of the exterior were limited by the proximity of the surrounding buildings. However, in 2003 the parish church adjacent to the Palau which was originally part of the monastery, was demolished to allow for extensions to the Palau and you can now sit in a square drinking coffee and admiring the huge stained glass windows designed by Domènech. Opened in 1908, the facade features an imposing sculpture, almost like the figurehead on the prow of a ship, showing Saint George [the patron saint of both Catalonia and England] looking protective above an allegory of popular music. The concert hall itself is lavishly decorated with sculptures, stained glass and mosaics. This is an unusual concert hall with natural light streaming in through stained glass windows and an enormous skylight […]
Thursday 7th March 2019 Every ticket sold on reserved trains on Indian Railways has a 10 digit PNR number. Day trains tend to have seats so when you buy your ticket you will know your PNR and a specific seat and coach number. For the night trains with sleeping compartments, you do not now your PNR until four to one hours before departure. This is because Indian Railways does not yet know the final mix of passengers. Category AC1 which is the best class of overnight accommodation, and the one we are using, is a mixture of two or four berth compartments. They will never mix male and female passengers. Because we are travelling as a couple we are most likely to be allocated a two berth. We may find, however, that later in the trip, we could be split and Matilda is in a female berth with three other travellers while Robert is in a berth with three other males. On some platforms there is a big board showing your berth allocations but this is not always the case. The guard always knows where people have been allocated. Most customers use the internet and you can look up your […]
Berlin – Thursday 13th December 2018 After an early, though slightly delayed flight to Berlin, we checked in to an appropriately cat-themed hotel, with cat flaps painted on the outside of the room doors and cats eyes on the key cards. From here it was a short walk to see the site of Check Point Charlie and Trabiworld… …the remaining section of the Wall on Niederkirchnerstraße… …the Sony Center… …the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe… …the site of Hitler’s bunker… …the Brandenberg Gate and the Reichstag… …to finish in the Gendarmen Christmas Market… … for beer and snacks. Berlin – Friday 14th December 2018 After a late breakfast, Jaime wanted to make progress on one of her university assignments so returned to the warmth of the hotel to work whilst the rest of Travelling Herd went to the Jewish Museum which included a special exhibition entitled Welcome to Jerusalem. From there we went to the Topology of Terror Museum which focuses on the institutions of the police and the SS in the Third Reich and the crimes they committed throughout Europe. German museums do not shy away from the atrocities of the second world war and whilst this […]
Valletta: Saturday, 24th November 2018 The location of the Lascaris War Rooms, understandably, is not as easy to find as some of the other Maltese tourist sites: after all the War Rooms were the secret underground headquarters for the Allies’ defence of the Mediterranean. Signs led us on a rather convoluted route down steps and through tunnels: it all seemed to be part of the experience but we did find a more direct route when we exited. There was a personable young guide greeting visitors who was dressed in an WWII RAF uniform but as we had a plane to catch, we could not wait for the next tour and had to opt for the audio guide. The War Rooms proved to be one of the highlights of the trip: like stepping back in time you can see . . . . . . the telephone exchange rooms and all the charts, plans and tote boards used to plot the movements of ships and aircraft. Notice the big island on the map is Sicily, this is where the Axis planes were based and mounted their attacks from and was subsequently the focus of the Allied attack, co-ordinated by Eisenhower and Montgomery in […]
Thursday, 11th October 2018 Having carefully selected a campsite, based largely on Matilda’s requirement for a pool in which she could swim for exercise, we set off from Brugge heading towards Bladel at 10:00. We were due to arrive at 12:50: this was a longer journey than Robert usually plans to undertake but in the interests of a healthier lifestyle he was prepared to extend his driving time. Unfortunately Matilda had been so focused on the pool that she failed to notice the site was effectively closed. We could have stayed but as all the facilities – pool, restaurants and shops – were out of action for the winter we decided to move on to another site. We arrived at campsite number two, also with a pool, approximately 30 minutes later to be told they were open but dogs were not allowed. It is just as well that Ralf always protests loudly to be let out whenever we stop otherwise we might not have taken him into reception and found out this crucial piece of information. Consequently, Robert looked up the relevant symbol in the key for future reference before he identified a third option which had a pool AND allowed dogs. […]
Thursday, 9th August 2018 A leisurely start to the day, partly because of the promised temperatures of 34º, but also because, unusually for us on a train trip, when we are often up to catch an early train, on this occasion we had a second day to explore/enjoy a location, so we were able to get up for breakfast at 08:45. Although we like to walk, the heat and Robert’s enthusiasm for different forms of transport prompted us to buy one day travel passes which cost 1,650 Ft [£4.59] each. We were pleased that our first experience of the Budapest Metro was catching Line 1 from Deák Ferenctér. The Budapest metro is the oldest electrified underground railway system on the European continent, and the third-oldest electrically operated underground railway in the world. It was predated by the 1890 City & South London Railway (now part of the London Underground) and the Mersey Railway. Line 1 was completed in 1896 and the older stations are a charming step back in time with tiled walls, tiled names, curved wooden storage cupboards and barriers between the lines. The platforms are short and the trains are just two carriages long. The metro took us […]
The campsite in Norwich was very peaceful and you would not expect to find such an oasis of calm so close to an English city. We will certainly use this again if we are visiting relatives there. Ralf has not been himself today: primarily evidenced by not eating any breakfast. This may have been because he shared some leftover cold pizza with Robert and Matilda before the morning walk. But just ten minutes into the walk he stopped and refused to continue: he then declined to eat. The day has therefore been spent being very attentive to his every whine and whimper as dog vomit in the motorhome is something to avoid. He became very agitated travelling through a village on the way from Norwich to Southwold and Matilda suggested stopping in case he felt unwell. We found a place to stop beyond the built up area and Ralf jumped down and proceeded to sniff enthusiastically all along the hedgerows. No noticeable signs of illness. It is possible that he feels that the slower progress through towns, with the many junctions, pedestrians and traffic lights indicates a stop is imminent and therefore, as many people travelling to new places do, he […]
We are determined not to be just fair weather motorhomers, so despite the weather forecast predicting three days of thunder storms, we set off for the south coast. Matilda was more concerned about Robert’s health than the weather as he has a debilitating cough which had been keeping us both awake at night. On the way to Peacehaven we passed the Westerham Brewery, and felt we really should call in. Robert has tried their beer on various occasions, and although this is actually very close to home we have never visited before. It is the second largest brewery in Kent and the barman was truly welcoming and friendly. It is in beautiful countryside and we plan to visit the Brewery Tap in the future. After a one and a half hour drive almost directly due south we hit the coast to the east of Brighton and the cliff top location of Peacehaven which was specially built for returning, injured soldiers after WWI. It is also famous for the scene at the end of Quadrophenia when the character Jimmy Cooper sends his moped over the cliff. Our location for the evening was the car park at the back of the Telscombe […]
So while still in employment, I have taken advantage of another school trip to Poland. This is the third time that I have been to Krakow on a trip with 30 students. I have also been with Matilda a year ago. Day 1 – Wednesday 21st, afternoon – The Jewish Quarter, Krakow. Day 2 – Thursday 22nd, morning – Wawel Castle. Day 2 – Thursday 22nd, afternoon – Auschwitz and Birkenau. Day 3 – Friday 23rd, morning – Wieliczka Salt Mine. Day 3 – Friday 23rd, afternoon – Schindler’s Factory Museum.
Having ordered a motorhome in October, we returned to the February Motorhome and Caravan Show to look at accessories and extras for our new motorhoming lifestyle. One thing we were particularly interested in was Britstops, a book with over one thousand pubs, vineyards, breweries, cafés, fish and chip shops and heritage sites where you can stay overnight for free. Pubs and breweries: you can see this is a close match with two of Robert’s interests. The 2018 edition is launched in February at the show. We bought Britstops and the ASCI card which offers significant discounts at European camp sites off-season. Both are annual subscriptions.