Read this blog: The one where we have breakfast with elephants Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th March 2026 An adult elephant is obviously very strong and weighs between three and five tons. As we had breakfast we watched one of the new elephants break out of one of his chains. He was clearly unhappy or angry at being restrained. We both found it hard to watch as he flailed his feet and trunk in the water but we understood that the mahouts are experienced and know how best to manage the introduction of new animals to the herd. Hopefully he will be integrated soon. Once again it was reassuring that front of house staff made sure to talk to guests to explain the situation. As the waiter had assured us the night before, egg hoppers were indeed available for breakfast. These are a traditional dish which we had been wanting to sample. They are made by swirling slightly sweet batter [made from fermented rice flour and coconut milk] around a curved pan then, once this is sufficiently set, breaking an egg into the pancake shell, mixing it up slightly and covering it all with a lid while it cooks. The […]
13
Read this blog: The one where we ride the Peak Tram and the Star Ferry Friday 28th February 2025 Victoria Peak, usually just referred to as the Peak, rises 1,811 feet [552m] above sea level and is the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island. In the nineteenth century it provided a natural signalling post for shipping. It was effectively a hill station, like Darjeeling and Shimla which we visited in India, where the wealthier residents could retreat from the oppressive summer heat. Before the tram was built they would have been carried up to Victoria Peak in sedan chairs. The Peak Tram has been travelling the route to the summit since 1888 and is one of the oldest funiculars in the world. It takes passengers up to 1,300 feet [about 396 metres]. The most recent upgrade to the tram was completed in 2022 and nowadays the Peak has over 7 million visitors every year. We opted just to take the tram up for the views rather than pay the entry fee to go to the Peak Tower and Sky Terrace which are above the tram stop. Between 1904 and 1947 the Peak was designated an exclusive residential area reserved for […]
Read this blog: The one where Robert tries natural viagra [snake vodka] Sunday 24th March 2024 We woke and breakfasted early and took a taxi to the Hôtel des Arts where all the passengers were to assemble for our cruise up the Mekong River aboard the RV Indochina Pandaw. While we waited, we were provided with the best cappuccino we have had so far on this trip. When it was our turn to register, we were told we had Cabin 317 and the Pandaw representative told us that it was “a very good cabin”. We suspected that he might say that to everyone, but when we asked other passengers, it seemed he hadn’t. It was then about a two hour journey by coach to the embarkation point at the stylish My Tho Marina where the building has been designed to look like a cruise ship from the 1930s with porthole windows and curved balconies. When Robert checked his paperwork, our booking was for Cabin 319, which was right at the back of the ship and next door to the one we had been assigned. He, of course, queried the change and we were told we had been moved to a […]
Sunday 15th and Monday 16th May 2022 Our first stop on Sunday morning was to be Coterie, the place where we were recommended to have breakfast. We both opted for Eggs Benedict and were not disappointed [see Dish of the day]. We were required to have proof of an independently verified negative Covid test before we would be allowed onto the American Queen for our Mississippi River paddle steamer cruise. The easiest option was to take advantage of the testing service organised by the cruise company which meant we had to present ourselves at the Hilton Riverside Hotel at any time between 14:00 and 18:30. We also needed to transfer our luggage as this would be our hotel for the night before we sailed [or paddled] but we would still have the morning to see some more of New Orleans. We had walked the length of Bourbon Street and Royal Street several times and Robert decided it would be a good idea to walk the side-streets methodically, so we did not miss anything out. These are some of the things we found. This pedestrianised street which was particularly lovely and uncharacteristically quiet. The buildings on Royal Street did seem to […]
Thursday 24th to Saturday 26th March 2022 Matilda thought she was having olfactory hallucinations when she woke to the smell of seasonal baking. Knowing that we planned to moor at Anderton, famous for its boat lift, where there is a visitor centre and café, Matilda planned to have a coffee and a hot cross bun at the end of the journey. Over the last few days we have seen several swans sitting regally on nests and are hoping that before this adventure is over, we will see cygnets and ducklings on the waterways. On our way out of Lymm, we saw a heron swooping and circling above the boat. For a while it seemed to be following us, one moment ahead of us, the next moment behind, perhaps hoping the movement of The Duke would make the fish rise and therefore easier to catch. Sadly, Matilda never seemed to have her phone at the ready when it came particularly close. This part of the journey along the Trent and Mersey Canal included only one lock but three tunnels, all of which operate a one way system. Boats are allowed into the Preston Brook Tunnel at specific times: travelling southbound we could start […]
Wednesday 15th January 2020 We had agreed to meet for coffee at Café Maiasmokk, the oldest cafe in Estonia, which opened in the same premises in 1864: the ground floor has remained unchanged for almost a century. Maiasmokk translates as “Sweet Tooth” and is famous for the marzipan figures and sculptures which adorn its window displays. Apparently both Reval [now known as Tallinn] and Lübeck claim to be the town where marzipan was invented. You can watch the artists at work in the Marzipan Room [below right]. Prompted by a request to ask our hotel to print our flight tickets, coffee was accompanied by Robert giving an IT lesson on how to make best use of the features on an iPhone, including the Wallet. When Liz and Martin started giggling over some photo effects like two teenagers at the back of a classroom, we knew it was time to move on. From Café Maiasmokk we walked to the Niguliste Museum, a part of the Art Museum of Estonia which is housed in the thirteenth century St Nicholas Church. The exhibits are predominantly ecclesiastic art celebrating the Virgin Mary. The most famous exhibit in the museum is the Danse Macabre painted […]
Tuesday, 26th November 2019 Due to its position and its dramatic geology Gibraltar has been a strategic military and naval base for centuries and many of the tourist sights reflect this. Testament to its importance is the determination of other nations to gain control of the Rock and Gibraltar. It had faced fourteen sieges in a 500 year period by the end of the eighteenth century. We took the easy option and rode the cable car again to the upper station at Signal Hill Battery. At the top we were enveloped in clouds, so there were no panoramic views today. We took a different route down this time, to the Great Siege Tunnels where the entrance is still guarded by ancient artillery. . . As we admired the impressive views across the airport, we overheard a local guide saying that Gibraltar is the fifth most dangerous airport in the world. As we would be flying out from there the following day, you can imagine that this was not the most welcome news. The Great Siege Tunnels were excavated through the solid limestone of the northern end of the Rock by the British during the Great Siege. The tunnels were the […]
Wednesday 20th March 2019 Checking our berth allocation for the sleeper, we were extremely relieved to see we had both been assigned to the same compartment, albeit in a four berth cabin, for this journey. On boarding we found we were sharing with two Indian businessmen, both of whom had initially entered the adjacent compartment where some rather boisterous and giggly Chinese girls had already established themselves. Each, in turn, seemed relieved to find they would actually be sharing with us instead. In an ironic, yet somehow predictable, turn of events Indian Railways’ train number 19666 from Udaipur to Jaipur [the one train we would have appreciated being delayed as it would have allowed us to have a little more sleep] was running on time. Alarms were set for 05:20. We were awakened around midnight by hammering on the door. One of the other occupants just shouted, “Ignore it”, the other opened the door. There thus ensued 15 minutes of arguing amongst the various Indians about berth numbers. Eventually the ‘hammerer’ moved off to his second class air conditioned [2AC] bed having been defeated by those in first class [1AC]. We got ourselves up and ready to alight, on time […]
Wednesday, 24th October 2018 As the aire was spacious and flat Robert demanded that Matilda try out the e-bike, which she has been studiously avoiding ever since he bought it. She is, as you can see, not a confident cyclist and is particularly concerned about her safety on the “wrong side of the road.” The journey started with a short diversion into Luxembourg to top up with cheap fuel and then on to Aachen. It was a longer drive than usual today across bridges passing high over valleys and through hills covered with conifers laden with cones and deciduous trees turning the warm shades of autumn. The mist low enough to conceal the blades of the wind turbines at the top of their rotation and a fine drizzle. It is reassuring, if reassuring is the right word, that the UK does not have a monopoly on roadworks which stretch for miles with little apparent activity. The Dom [cathedral] was the first World Heritage Site in Germany and the oldest part, Charlemagne’s Palace, was built between AD 794 and AD 810. Charlemagne himself is buried here in the town he made capital of his Frankish empire in 794. The Dom is […]
Sunday, 19th August 2018 Today started with our eleventh train journey of this trip, the 09:00 from Bucharest to Constanta, arriving at 11:00. Constanta is located on the Black Sea; is the second largest city in Romania and its largest port. It also has a very large beach stretching north from the city, which includes Mamaia, a strip of sand 7 kilometres long and 300 meters wide, between a sea and a lake. This means that not only is Constanta a big industrial port but also a major holiday beach location for Romanians. Unfortunately the main bulk of Constanta, like most of Romania is very run down, with many derelict and empty buildings. The old port area and the old town have fared a bit better. So, having dropped off our bags at the hotel, we went for a walk down to the beach and then through the old harbour and into the old town. At the end of the old town, between the old and new industrial port stands ‘The Casino’, being too expensive to maintain, it is now empty and left to decay. The Roman Cathedral of St Anthony stands next to the ruins of the first christian […]