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 […]
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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 […]