Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th May 2022 After receiving our test results yesterday, Robert successfully completed on-line check in for Matilda but even after multiple attempts, found he was unable to check himself in. This should have rung alarm bells. Next day at the airport seemed to be a training day: we felt that this was the only way to explain the excessive staffing levels. Matilda felt it did not bode well when, even before checking in our luggage, her passport was marked with a green sticker but Robert’s was branded with a red one. As we came through security, Robert was selected for a random security check, that included a substance test, with a strip wiped across hands, belt and shoes. We then continued through the airport but at the gate, several names, including Robert’s were called and he had to go through for further questioning and scanning. Matilda waited on the other side of the gate, watching while he removed his shoes; unpacked his ruck sack and was questioned by successive members of airport staff and homeland security. She mused upon the potetnial irony of passing the Covid test and still not being allowed to travel. Eventually airport […]
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Tuesday 22nd February to Thursday 24th February 2022 Tuesday started with a short tunnel and . . . . . . we left Newbold with the sun trying to break through behind us. We are not sure quite how much Ralf can see but he seems to like the plastic “dodger” down to be able to smell the world as we go by. The Oxford Canal was originally a winding contour canal which was subsequently straightened in various places to cut 14.75 miles off the journey to improve efficiency. The picturesque cast iron bridges, inscribed Horseley Ironworks 1828, mark where the meanders and loops were bypassed to make a more direct route. Generally there is a strict division of labour – Robert steers and Matilda, who struggles with left and right, deals with the locks. However Matilda has noticed that, since coming up a flight of locks with another couple where the man steering slowed by the steps long enough to get off to close the lock gates behind them, Robert has started to adopt this practice. In return she will accept the responsibility of steering, briefly, during Robert’s comfort breaks. She might also provide fewer hot beverages. Today’s journey […]
Saturday 12th to Tuesday 15th February 2022 We caught a train from Firenze, travelling first class, and our daughters flew in from the UK both arriving at the Rome Termini Station around midday. From there we travelled two stops on the metro then walked to The Savoy Hotel – a fairly large establishment and hard to miss you would think but initially Robert managed to lead us straight past. More of things that were missed later. We last came here on a family holiday about ten years ago and stepped out to refresh our memories of some of the sights including the Spanish Steps . . . the Trevi Fountain . . . . . .and the Pantheon, the most perfectly preserved of all ancient temples. We found we each had different memories of the last visit. Matilda had read about the oldest coffee shop in Rome, the Antico Caffè Greco. Robert humours her when she demands to take refreshment in a traditional tea room or coffee shop but this was a very expensive disappointment. The building is not as decorative or grand as many we have visited and it is certainly the most expensive beer we have ever purchased despite […]
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 […]
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 . . […]
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 […]
Monday 7th September 2020 We had booked to go to the Eden Project in the afternoon to allow time for our daughter and her friend to make an early start and drive down to join us there. That morning we decided to take a scenic stroll before returning to the car and headed towards the castle and down to Readymoney Beach. This is a delightfully sheltered cove owned by the National Trust and the clear water and sandy beach would make it the ideal spot for a swim if time allowed. The walk to the castle is not accessible at high tide and as the tide was rising and Eden was beckoning, we will save this for another visit. We also stopped at Charlestown on the way and this proved to be an unexpected treat. Construction of the Georgian harbour and dock started in 1791 and the natural inlet was excavated to create a main dock and a shipyard. Initially copper and then china clay was transported via the port and it remained largely unchanged during the twentieth century. Its historical charm means it has been used as a location in several period film and TV dramas, most notably Taboo […]
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 […]
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. […]