22/09/05
This was our first flight with Easyjet, from London Luton. Cagliari is only two and a half hours from London, but stepping off the plane we knew we were in the Mediterranean. The weather was pleasantly warm and having picked up our car, we followed the directions to our hotel, a luxury 5 star hotel, which we had paid for in advance, half board.
We drove from Cagliari centre to the Quartu Sant Elena suburb. We found the correct road quickly enough but found it hard to believe that this largely residential street would contain our luxurious hotel.
After driving the length of the road a couple of times, we called in to a dubious looking prefabricated concrete hotel from the Best Western chain. The reception staff were very helpful and this turned out to be a good travel tip – hoteliers know their area, have maps and often speak English…
The receptionist immediately understood our problem, because he had seen it before. Easy Hotels had made an error on their web site. The hotel we had reserved was in fact two hundred miles away on the north east coast of the island. We were at the address they had supplied – the Best Western. With no other choice, we checked in here, determined to rectify the problem when we returned home. The hotel staff were very understanding and gave us their best suite. It was not much of a consolation, but things could have been worse. The receptionist recommended a good restaurant and even helped us by ordering our dinner over the telephone, on our behalf.
We strolled to the restaurant and were not disappointed. The food was excellent and we ate our meal in several small courses. We were given an after dinner sweet drink called Mirto, a smooth fruity liqueur, which was great.
23/09/05
Departing Quartu Sant Elena in the south of Sardinia, our next destination was Arbatax, an east coast town almost half way up the island. The mountainous route offered fantastic views and lush green scenery, very different from southern Spain which is on a similar latitude. The drive took a couple of hours, but the views and wonderful country made it worth while. Finding our hotel in Arbatax was not straight forward as the map was not right. The Hotel Poisedonia was about half a mile from the beach. The hotel was extremely attractive, in typical Mediterranean red and cream colours. Our terrace was very large, with views of the mountains behind and the Gennargentu National Park opposite . The bed had the most ornate stone marine depiction for a headboard. We sat outside and enjoyed a beer before heading down to the small cove that was the beach at Arbatax. The multicoloured pink, grey and white stones were very memorable and we swam in the sea and bathed on the sandy beach.
24/09/05
Our next visit was to be Nuoro, a provincial capital town near to the centre of the island. Our information about the town indicated that it was not going to be a tourist destination. The drive across the mountains, was fantastic. We passed near to La Punta Mamora, the highest peak on the island at 1834 metres and visited the Fumendosa Lake high up in the hills. The hills were home to olive trees almost in every direction and we frequently saw prickly pears by the road side, although they were noticeably absent on the higher roads. We stopped at the highest church on the island, Nostra Signora di Gonare, perched literally on the rocky summit of the hill. The road to it was very steep and the last hundred metres of the climb was on foot, on steps hewn from the rock. Jayne had worn wooden sandals just to make it more challenging. The views were breathtaking - an amazing 360 degree panorama as far as the eye could see. The church doors appeared to open on to the vertical hill side and the rock that the church was built on protruded through the floor of the church in places. This was one of the most memorable views of the trip. When we arrived in Nuoro, we found that the guide book had been as kind as possible to the town. It really was uninspiring. The hotel was very tired (it had been the only one we could find on the internet). The town was very plain, the only interesting feature being the tall tree covered hill that overlooked it, with an enormous crucifix on the top. When we followed the road up to the top, we found a gift shop or two (where we bought a typical Sardinian rug). The evening meal in the hotel topped off the anticlimax to the day.
25/09/05
In the morning, we eagerly checked-out and set off for a busy day, where we planned to visit several towns. Our first destination, was the fishing town of Bosa. Situated on the west coast, we drove across country for an a couple of hours. The mountainous country became very flat and expansive. The land was laid out in large fields. Every now and then, we saw the ancient remains of Nuraghi - stone built conical fortress houses, that were built before the Phoenicians and Romans invaded the island. Most of the road signs were peppered with bullet holes - we had noticed this the day before as well.
We arrived in Bosa, parked the car and walked the river side and narrow cobbled streets until we found a cafe and stopped for coffee. Bosa was a very attractive town, overlooked by a castle high up on a hill in the middle of the town. Following the river westwards (which is the only navigable river in Sardinia) we found the entrance and saw fishing boats coming and going, old and new side by side. We stayed with the rocky coast southwards until we came across large expanses of salt flats, home to thousands of flamingos in the winter months.
By mid afternoon, we arrived at Tharros, the remains of a remote coastal town built by the Phoenicians, adapted by the Romans and finished by the Spanish. It was eventually abandoned due to pirate raids. The remaining stone and excavations were almost inexplicable without the aid of information boards. The cove though was one of the most attractive blue water anchorages I have seen, over looking the town remains on the hill side, with Corinthian columns at the foot.
Later, we arrived at Oristano where we would stay the night. We walked the town centre, looking at the cathedral with an unusually tiled domed tower. In the square opposite, a band were setting up for a live performance. We sat and enjoyed a beer before continuing our stroll. We found that most of Oristano had been destroyed and redeveloped but it was a pleasant town. Back at the hotel, we swam fifty lengths of the (very cold) swimming pool. Later, we could not find any restaurants open. The meal we had at the hotel though was fantastic.
26/09/05
Our final day involved a short drive to Cagliari where we parked in the port and walked up the hill, through the new town. We stopped for morning coffee before carrying on up the hill the walls of the old town. We strolled the narrow cobbled streets along the town walls, looked inside the cathedral which had fantastic frescoes painted on the ceiling. The cathedral was undergoing major work though and there was a lot of scaffolding inside the building. We continued up to the northern town gates before heading back to the southern end, overlooking the port. We stopped for a beer in the sunshine, before walking back down the hill through the new town. One shop that we looked in provided us with a traditional style Sardinia mask. The drive back to the airport was brief and we were not ready to go home. It had been a great honeymoon.
Friday, 16 March 2007
Monday, 12 March 2007
FRANCE - The Western Cherbourg Peninsular
08/05/06
Another day trip to France, this time on the P&O fast-cat from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. Having seen a lot of the Bay of Seine, we decided that we would spend a good portion of the day exploring the west coast of the Cherbourg Peninsular. Our first stop, not far outside of Cherbourg – Octeville, was the 10th century church St Germain. The church is set in a clearing on the side of a hill and provided a good panorama of Cherbourg and the port. Continuing west, we followed the rugged coast line, not dissimilar to Jurassic Coast in Dorset. We stopped several times to admire small bays and fishing ports. One of these was Port Racine, the smallest fishing harbour in France. It was so small that it could hold no more than a dozen open fishing boats.
We continued to the north western corner of the peninsular, Cap de la Hague, where the turbulent waters race around the corner towards Alderney, visible only a few miles away. The light house, on a rock outcrop a few hundred yards off-shore seemed very isolated amongst the turbulence. The life boat station situated here is certainly to have seen much service, given the rocky shores and fierceness of the tides.
Driving south, we followed the steep cliffs, with sandy bays below. We stopped for coffee, looking out across the sea toward Alderney and watched fishing boats at the foot of the cliff, tending to lobster pots. Further south, we stopped at a long sandy beach, protecting a large area of sand dunes from the sea. The beach, similar to the D-Day beaches in the Bay of Seine, was only blighted by a nuclear waste treatment plant, situated on a hill overlooking the stretch of sand.
The trip was completed with an obligatory supermarket stop before returning to Portsmouth on the early evening ferry.
Another day trip to France, this time on the P&O fast-cat from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. Having seen a lot of the Bay of Seine, we decided that we would spend a good portion of the day exploring the west coast of the Cherbourg Peninsular. Our first stop, not far outside of Cherbourg – Octeville, was the 10th century church St Germain. The church is set in a clearing on the side of a hill and provided a good panorama of Cherbourg and the port. Continuing west, we followed the rugged coast line, not dissimilar to Jurassic Coast in Dorset. We stopped several times to admire small bays and fishing ports. One of these was Port Racine, the smallest fishing harbour in France. It was so small that it could hold no more than a dozen open fishing boats.
We continued to the north western corner of the peninsular, Cap de la Hague, where the turbulent waters race around the corner towards Alderney, visible only a few miles away. The light house, on a rock outcrop a few hundred yards off-shore seemed very isolated amongst the turbulence. The life boat station situated here is certainly to have seen much service, given the rocky shores and fierceness of the tides.
Driving south, we followed the steep cliffs, with sandy bays below. We stopped for coffee, looking out across the sea toward Alderney and watched fishing boats at the foot of the cliff, tending to lobster pots. Further south, we stopped at a long sandy beach, protecting a large area of sand dunes from the sea. The beach, similar to the D-Day beaches in the Bay of Seine, was only blighted by a nuclear waste treatment plant, situated on a hill overlooking the stretch of sand.
The trip was completed with an obligatory supermarket stop before returning to Portsmouth on the early evening ferry.
Sunday, 11 March 2007
FRANCE - Bay of Seine
The Bay of Seine, opposite the south coast of England, has provided us with numerous day trips. The area is full of history, attractive beaches and fishing ports. Being so close to home, we keep getting drawn back to the area as there is still so much to see.
04/07/03
One of our first trips to France together, we took the overnight P&O ferry to Le Havre (the route is now operated by LD Lines). Waking in France, we disembarked and started the coastal drive westward. Passing through Honfleur and Deauville to Ouistreham. From there, we visited the D-Day museum at Arromanches - Gold Beach. This museum has some very good models of the harbour constructed to assist the reclaiming of France. Film and exhibits complete the tour. Further long the coast at Colleville St Laurant, we visited the American war cemetery, a very harrowing experience. The head stones, all white marble are arranged in perfect lines and stretch into the distance almost as far as the eye can see. The grounds are meticulously maintained and being 4th July, every grave had a red rose on it.
From there, we drove south to Bayeux to see the famous tapestry. Our visit was short lived as we were pushed for time, but it is still amazing to see it up close. Its length is amazing considering the amount of work and attention to detail.
Later we stopped at St Vaast for refreshments and then our usual supermarket shopping before returning to Portsmouth via the Cherbourg ferry.
Late 2003
Another overnight ferry to Le Havre, but this time exploring the eastern side of the Bay of Seine, from Le Havre to Fecamp. The coast at this end of the bay consists of high cliffs, slowly eroded by the predominant south westerly winds. We followed the coast road down in to Fecamp and explored the port and commenced our search for a supermarket. We caught the late afternoon ferry home.
Spring 2004
With the morning ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre, we went to France on a day trip, with Jayne's parents. It was mainly a shopping trip, but we drove the coast road to Deauville where we stopped for coffee and a stroll around the town. After the supermarket excursion, we enjoyed a pleasant evening meal in Honfleur before returning to the ferry port to catch the night ferry home.
June 2004
We decided to repeat our trip from the summer before, but this time taking Rosie and Charlie with us. Our intention was to increase their awareness of the sacrifices made during the second world war. Sailing to Le Havre again, we followed the coast road again, to Benouville, to show them Pegasus Bridge. The bridge has been re sited and replaced by a modern bridge in order to preserve it.
Further along the coast, we took them to the D-Day museum at Arromanches and again to the American cemetery at Colleville St Laurant. Our next stop was a German defensive gun emplacement - Batterie de Longues. The rusty remains of several large guns and concrete emplacements, surrounded by shell marks where Allied guns had fired upon the Germans. The trip was finished with another stop at St Vaast and the supermarkets, again returning to England from Cherbourg.
04/07/03
One of our first trips to France together, we took the overnight P&O ferry to Le Havre (the route is now operated by LD Lines). Waking in France, we disembarked and started the coastal drive westward. Passing through Honfleur and Deauville to Ouistreham. From there, we visited the D-Day museum at Arromanches - Gold Beach. This museum has some very good models of the harbour constructed to assist the reclaiming of France. Film and exhibits complete the tour. Further long the coast at Colleville St Laurant, we visited the American war cemetery, a very harrowing experience. The head stones, all white marble are arranged in perfect lines and stretch into the distance almost as far as the eye can see. The grounds are meticulously maintained and being 4th July, every grave had a red rose on it.
From there, we drove south to Bayeux to see the famous tapestry. Our visit was short lived as we were pushed for time, but it is still amazing to see it up close. Its length is amazing considering the amount of work and attention to detail.
Later we stopped at St Vaast for refreshments and then our usual supermarket shopping before returning to Portsmouth via the Cherbourg ferry.
Late 2003
Another overnight ferry to Le Havre, but this time exploring the eastern side of the Bay of Seine, from Le Havre to Fecamp. The coast at this end of the bay consists of high cliffs, slowly eroded by the predominant south westerly winds. We followed the coast road down in to Fecamp and explored the port and commenced our search for a supermarket. We caught the late afternoon ferry home.
Spring 2004
With the morning ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre, we went to France on a day trip, with Jayne's parents. It was mainly a shopping trip, but we drove the coast road to Deauville where we stopped for coffee and a stroll around the town. After the supermarket excursion, we enjoyed a pleasant evening meal in Honfleur before returning to the ferry port to catch the night ferry home.
June 2004
We decided to repeat our trip from the summer before, but this time taking Rosie and Charlie with us. Our intention was to increase their awareness of the sacrifices made during the second world war. Sailing to Le Havre again, we followed the coast road again, to Benouville, to show them Pegasus Bridge. The bridge has been re sited and replaced by a modern bridge in order to preserve it.
Further along the coast, we took them to the D-Day museum at Arromanches and again to the American cemetery at Colleville St Laurant. Our next stop was a German defensive gun emplacement - Batterie de Longues. The rusty remains of several large guns and concrete emplacements, surrounded by shell marks where Allied guns had fired upon the Germans. The trip was finished with another stop at St Vaast and the supermarkets, again returning to England from Cherbourg.
Saturday, 10 March 2007
SPAIN - Malaga to Alicante
29/01/06
Having flown in to Malaga to start the next leg of our Spanish coastal journey, Our first stop was Nerja, a coastal resort town that we had visited before. Nerja has two great aspects – the caves and the balcony perched on the cliff top. The caves were to be our first port of call. On our arrival, the visitor centre was shut so we enjoyed a coffee in the sunshine, sat on the terrace overlooking the town and coast. The sea seemed to shimmer especially for us and in the haze, we could make out the Balcon de Europa hotel where we would be staying later.
Once the caves had reopened to visitors, we descended the stairs into the caverns below. The chamber appeared quite big or at least large enough to impress me. A further flight of stairs lead down and I was not prepared for the sight before me. The cavern was astonishingly huge - cathedral proportions. It was hard to imagine that the caves had gone undiscovered until 1959, when they were discovered by school boys hunting bats. The cave had been carefully lit for effect and we followed a foot path trail around the cave, descending further as we got deeper into the void. An enormous central rock pillar, 60 metres tall greeted us at the lower end of the cavern. The path encircled it and lead back toward the entrance. I had anticipated the cave being impressive, but not this amazing.
Later, we descended the few kilometers into the town. We checked into the hotel and strolled the balcony. Following the stairs down to the small beach, we found the feral cat population in good health, sprawled across the fishing boats and sand. The old houses set into the rock face had not changed at all (and probably never will). The Sierra Nevada mountains behind were completely snow capped and we wondered whether the Alpujarran foot hills would be, for our visit the next day.
Passing the old white church on the placa, we stopped for a beer or three and visited the upper and lower town areas looking in the shops and stopping for a drink. Later we walked down into the lower town area to eat. Most of the restaurants were closed so our choice was limited.
30/01/06
Departing quite early, we headed out of town, following the coast eastwards, before heading north and up into the Alpujarras. The foot hills still had quite a bit of snow present and it noticeably increased as we gained altitude. An unusual cave formation came into a view and we stopped to investigate. The cave was not especially deep, but the mouth was at least thirty feet wide. On one side, set in to the stone with rough building blocks was a shed, or in fact as we discovered, some sort of stable. Very odd, albeit that the livestock would have had a great view.. Further up, we stopped at 998 metres where there was an old church, which had the most amazing panoramic view of the surrounding villages and valleys. We continued to climb towards our destination Bubion, formerly the highest town in Spain, now superceded by a growing village nearby. On our arrival, we were bitterly disappointed to find that our hotel booking could not be honoured, mainly as the hotel was shut for the winter. We spoke to an attendant, who appeared after quite some time and the hotel was most definitely closed as it was out of season. We wandered the town before settling in a bar with beer and tapas to consider our limited options. The Serrano ham was particularly good and helped to focus our thoughts. Certain of finding a hotel on the coast, we decided to follow the Alpujarran mountain road further east until it dropped below the snow line and south to the beach towns. Picking a sizable town as our aim point, we headed for Roquets de Mar. On our arrival two hours or so later, we selected from a choice of beach hotels and found that our allocated room, at half board, was directly overlooking the raked sands of the beach with a rather nice balcony. In the distance we could see the coast of a national park - Cabo de Gata - and decided at that point that we would explore it the following day. We went for a stroll along the paseo before finding a bar for refreshments. The local shop also afforded some tourist products such as an English newspaper.
We returned to the hotel for dinner. The menu was great in variety but not quality.
We had a very amusing evening in the hotel bar, surrounded by geriatrics. The amusement was the bingo, in which we participated, in an increasingly inebriated state. It was almost impossible to win. The young bingo caller, announced the numbers in three different languages - Spanish, German and then English. Not only did the order favour the Spanish, but his habit of calling a different (but close) number for each different language, livened up the proceedings considerably. We were not even close to claiming a line or a house, but the drink and farcical bingo calls made it all seem really quite funny.
31/01/06
After a good night of sleep, we drove to Cabo de Gata national park, as intended. The roads made it favourable to drive past it and then start at the eastern side. The first point of note was St Jose, a small marina town, largely desolate due to the season. The marina though was typically Mediterranean, with boats moored stern to the quay. We sat and enjoyed morning coffee at a cafe overlooking the marina. Most of the buildings at this end of the town were set back against the rocky cliffs either side of the harbour entrance. We climbed up on to the top, to be greeted with a good view of the sea breaking on the rocks.
We continued westwards again, entering the national park area, easily defined by the end of tarmac roads and the commencement of dusty tracks. We followed this road, unsure of how far it would carry us. The surroundings were truly wild, like driving through an arid desert. The beaches, as we found them, were very remote and would be ideal for a night in a motor home. Some travellers had already found this out and I envied their freedom to stay as long as they pleased. Further along the track, we encountered a huge herd of two hundred goats or so, all white and all in our our way. Reluctantly, they slowly moved out of the way and allowed us to pass, but a quarter of mile further on as we approached the headland, the road was blocked and we had to turn around and head back in the direction we had just come from. Later, we arrived in Almeria where we would spend the night. The town was not geared up for tourism and it made a pleasant change to stay amongst locals rather than visitors. The hotel was centrally located and had a great tapas bar. We strolled through the town, climbing the hill to the impressive alcazabar that dominates the sky line and spans the valley which the town and port is at the foot of. Built on two hill tops, with a connecting defensive wall stretching between, the western hill fort was being restored but the eastern hill fort was still in ruins. We visited both before walking down in to the town to the cathedral. We searched for a nice restaurant, but ended up back at the hotel tapas bar, where every beer was accompanied by a free tapas. We purchased some more to make a meal of it and had a very pleasant evening - which was my birthday.
01/02/06
Leaving Almeria behind, we drove north in to the Desert of Tabernas, the only true desert in Europe. The land was very arid, with sparse vegetation and many rock formations, eroded by thousands of years of wind and sand. The land looked more like the Wild West than the Wild West, hence why it had been the setting for so many Spaghetti Westerns and other adventure films, such as Indiana Jones films. We were going to visit a film set, but discovered that there were in fact four different areas each being managed as a tourist attraction. We chose Fort Bravo, which had two main areas, one supposed to be a Mexican border town and the other, a western town. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and the "Magnificent Seven" amongst others were filmed here. Some of the buildings were genuine and had four walls and a roof. Some of them were just a frontage, supported from behind with timber frames. Walking the 'streets', you could not tell the difference. For effect, cowboy film themes were played through loud speakers and men on horseback roamed up and down. The saloon bar was also genuine and we stopped for a coffee.
The drive through the desert saw the terrain gradually became greener as we closed on the coast again and we arrived at Mojacar by mid afternoon. Stopping in the pueblo on top of the hill, we sat in the sun and sipped beer. The bar had a roof terrace which offered views across the surrounding countryside and coast line. Jayne had been here before, when there was one hotel and an unspoilt coast without a beach bar in sight. Now there were many and we were staying in a beach hotel. We wandered around the old town, along cobbled streets and down to the bottom of the hill where we had parked. All of the houses were white washed and from the coast, it still looked picturesque despite the development. Our hotel, opposite the sea front, was basically a collection of small apartments, each with its own front door. It had an enormous terrace, but unfortunately it was east facing. We sat outside our front door on the balcony, enjoying the evening sun and a newspaper, drinking Tio Pepe like it was lemonade. We ate at a local restaurant, owned by an English couple and the food and atmosphere were very good.
02/02/06
Continuing our trip eastwards along the coast, we stopped briefly at Mazarron, a beach town with a small island just off-shore, rocky and green and home to thousands of sea gulls. Further on, we visited Cartagena where we walked around the port area and marina. Cartagena was an impressive town, overlooked by two alcazabars, one of obvious Moorish origins and the other perhaps much newer.
We drove the short distance to Murcia where we would spend our last night. Finding the hotel was especially hard, mainly because of the series of one-way streets that we had to negotiate. The old town centre area was dominated by the cathedral and bell tower and the square before it contained a few bars. Adjacent was an old palace, painted a light burgundy colour. We saw the interior of the cathedral, typically plush with numerous chapels and gold everywhere. We walked the narrow streets and shops. Our evening meal was in a posh restaurant to the rear of the cathedral and after, we took another stroll through the cathedral square, to the faint sounds of a violin being played by a street performer. We walked past fountain displays back to the river, crossing a suspension bridge, held up by a single spindle with wires fanning out like the spokes of a wheel. It shook uncomfortably as we walked across it, back to our hotel.
03/02/06
Our last day and it was a pity as we were just getting into it. We stopped for coffee on the paseo at Torrevieja and looked in the market stalls for last minute gifts for the family. Later, we drove the length of La Manga, to see what all the fuss was about. It is regularly refered to as a beach holiday hot spot, but the beaches were poor and the spit of land was benighted with unfinished and abandoned shells of buildings. We were not impressed. Our trip ended at Alicante, where we flew home with Flybe. Crossing the Pyrenees, the view of the snow capped mountains was crystal clear and inspiring. A plan to drive the length of the mountain range, from the west coast of France to the Mediterranean was formed.
Having flown in to Malaga to start the next leg of our Spanish coastal journey, Our first stop was Nerja, a coastal resort town that we had visited before. Nerja has two great aspects – the caves and the balcony perched on the cliff top. The caves were to be our first port of call. On our arrival, the visitor centre was shut so we enjoyed a coffee in the sunshine, sat on the terrace overlooking the town and coast. The sea seemed to shimmer especially for us and in the haze, we could make out the Balcon de Europa hotel where we would be staying later.
Once the caves had reopened to visitors, we descended the stairs into the caverns below. The chamber appeared quite big or at least large enough to impress me. A further flight of stairs lead down and I was not prepared for the sight before me. The cavern was astonishingly huge - cathedral proportions. It was hard to imagine that the caves had gone undiscovered until 1959, when they were discovered by school boys hunting bats. The cave had been carefully lit for effect and we followed a foot path trail around the cave, descending further as we got deeper into the void. An enormous central rock pillar, 60 metres tall greeted us at the lower end of the cavern. The path encircled it and lead back toward the entrance. I had anticipated the cave being impressive, but not this amazing.
Later, we descended the few kilometers into the town. We checked into the hotel and strolled the balcony. Following the stairs down to the small beach, we found the feral cat population in good health, sprawled across the fishing boats and sand. The old houses set into the rock face had not changed at all (and probably never will). The Sierra Nevada mountains behind were completely snow capped and we wondered whether the Alpujarran foot hills would be, for our visit the next day.
Passing the old white church on the placa, we stopped for a beer or three and visited the upper and lower town areas looking in the shops and stopping for a drink. Later we walked down into the lower town area to eat. Most of the restaurants were closed so our choice was limited.
30/01/06
Departing quite early, we headed out of town, following the coast eastwards, before heading north and up into the Alpujarras. The foot hills still had quite a bit of snow present and it noticeably increased as we gained altitude. An unusual cave formation came into a view and we stopped to investigate. The cave was not especially deep, but the mouth was at least thirty feet wide. On one side, set in to the stone with rough building blocks was a shed, or in fact as we discovered, some sort of stable. Very odd, albeit that the livestock would have had a great view.. Further up, we stopped at 998 metres where there was an old church, which had the most amazing panoramic view of the surrounding villages and valleys. We continued to climb towards our destination Bubion, formerly the highest town in Spain, now superceded by a growing village nearby. On our arrival, we were bitterly disappointed to find that our hotel booking could not be honoured, mainly as the hotel was shut for the winter. We spoke to an attendant, who appeared after quite some time and the hotel was most definitely closed as it was out of season. We wandered the town before settling in a bar with beer and tapas to consider our limited options. The Serrano ham was particularly good and helped to focus our thoughts. Certain of finding a hotel on the coast, we decided to follow the Alpujarran mountain road further east until it dropped below the snow line and south to the beach towns. Picking a sizable town as our aim point, we headed for Roquets de Mar. On our arrival two hours or so later, we selected from a choice of beach hotels and found that our allocated room, at half board, was directly overlooking the raked sands of the beach with a rather nice balcony. In the distance we could see the coast of a national park - Cabo de Gata - and decided at that point that we would explore it the following day. We went for a stroll along the paseo before finding a bar for refreshments. The local shop also afforded some tourist products such as an English newspaper.
We returned to the hotel for dinner. The menu was great in variety but not quality.
We had a very amusing evening in the hotel bar, surrounded by geriatrics. The amusement was the bingo, in which we participated, in an increasingly inebriated state. It was almost impossible to win. The young bingo caller, announced the numbers in three different languages - Spanish, German and then English. Not only did the order favour the Spanish, but his habit of calling a different (but close) number for each different language, livened up the proceedings considerably. We were not even close to claiming a line or a house, but the drink and farcical bingo calls made it all seem really quite funny.
31/01/06
After a good night of sleep, we drove to Cabo de Gata national park, as intended. The roads made it favourable to drive past it and then start at the eastern side. The first point of note was St Jose, a small marina town, largely desolate due to the season. The marina though was typically Mediterranean, with boats moored stern to the quay. We sat and enjoyed morning coffee at a cafe overlooking the marina. Most of the buildings at this end of the town were set back against the rocky cliffs either side of the harbour entrance. We climbed up on to the top, to be greeted with a good view of the sea breaking on the rocks.
We continued westwards again, entering the national park area, easily defined by the end of tarmac roads and the commencement of dusty tracks. We followed this road, unsure of how far it would carry us. The surroundings were truly wild, like driving through an arid desert. The beaches, as we found them, were very remote and would be ideal for a night in a motor home. Some travellers had already found this out and I envied their freedom to stay as long as they pleased. Further along the track, we encountered a huge herd of two hundred goats or so, all white and all in our our way. Reluctantly, they slowly moved out of the way and allowed us to pass, but a quarter of mile further on as we approached the headland, the road was blocked and we had to turn around and head back in the direction we had just come from. Later, we arrived in Almeria where we would spend the night. The town was not geared up for tourism and it made a pleasant change to stay amongst locals rather than visitors. The hotel was centrally located and had a great tapas bar. We strolled through the town, climbing the hill to the impressive alcazabar that dominates the sky line and spans the valley which the town and port is at the foot of. Built on two hill tops, with a connecting defensive wall stretching between, the western hill fort was being restored but the eastern hill fort was still in ruins. We visited both before walking down in to the town to the cathedral. We searched for a nice restaurant, but ended up back at the hotel tapas bar, where every beer was accompanied by a free tapas. We purchased some more to make a meal of it and had a very pleasant evening - which was my birthday.
01/02/06
Leaving Almeria behind, we drove north in to the Desert of Tabernas, the only true desert in Europe. The land was very arid, with sparse vegetation and many rock formations, eroded by thousands of years of wind and sand. The land looked more like the Wild West than the Wild West, hence why it had been the setting for so many Spaghetti Westerns and other adventure films, such as Indiana Jones films. We were going to visit a film set, but discovered that there were in fact four different areas each being managed as a tourist attraction. We chose Fort Bravo, which had two main areas, one supposed to be a Mexican border town and the other, a western town. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and the "Magnificent Seven" amongst others were filmed here. Some of the buildings were genuine and had four walls and a roof. Some of them were just a frontage, supported from behind with timber frames. Walking the 'streets', you could not tell the difference. For effect, cowboy film themes were played through loud speakers and men on horseback roamed up and down. The saloon bar was also genuine and we stopped for a coffee.
The drive through the desert saw the terrain gradually became greener as we closed on the coast again and we arrived at Mojacar by mid afternoon. Stopping in the pueblo on top of the hill, we sat in the sun and sipped beer. The bar had a roof terrace which offered views across the surrounding countryside and coast line. Jayne had been here before, when there was one hotel and an unspoilt coast without a beach bar in sight. Now there were many and we were staying in a beach hotel. We wandered around the old town, along cobbled streets and down to the bottom of the hill where we had parked. All of the houses were white washed and from the coast, it still looked picturesque despite the development. Our hotel, opposite the sea front, was basically a collection of small apartments, each with its own front door. It had an enormous terrace, but unfortunately it was east facing. We sat outside our front door on the balcony, enjoying the evening sun and a newspaper, drinking Tio Pepe like it was lemonade. We ate at a local restaurant, owned by an English couple and the food and atmosphere were very good.
02/02/06
Continuing our trip eastwards along the coast, we stopped briefly at Mazarron, a beach town with a small island just off-shore, rocky and green and home to thousands of sea gulls. Further on, we visited Cartagena where we walked around the port area and marina. Cartagena was an impressive town, overlooked by two alcazabars, one of obvious Moorish origins and the other perhaps much newer.
We drove the short distance to Murcia where we would spend our last night. Finding the hotel was especially hard, mainly because of the series of one-way streets that we had to negotiate. The old town centre area was dominated by the cathedral and bell tower and the square before it contained a few bars. Adjacent was an old palace, painted a light burgundy colour. We saw the interior of the cathedral, typically plush with numerous chapels and gold everywhere. We walked the narrow streets and shops. Our evening meal was in a posh restaurant to the rear of the cathedral and after, we took another stroll through the cathedral square, to the faint sounds of a violin being played by a street performer. We walked past fountain displays back to the river, crossing a suspension bridge, held up by a single spindle with wires fanning out like the spokes of a wheel. It shook uncomfortably as we walked across it, back to our hotel.
03/02/06
Our last day and it was a pity as we were just getting into it. We stopped for coffee on the paseo at Torrevieja and looked in the market stalls for last minute gifts for the family. Later, we drove the length of La Manga, to see what all the fuss was about. It is regularly refered to as a beach holiday hot spot, but the beaches were poor and the spit of land was benighted with unfinished and abandoned shells of buildings. We were not impressed. Our trip ended at Alicante, where we flew home with Flybe. Crossing the Pyrenees, the view of the snow capped mountains was crystal clear and inspiring. A plan to drive the length of the mountain range, from the west coast of France to the Mediterranean was formed.
Friday, 9 March 2007
SPAIN - La Frontera - Arcos & Jerez
Late April 2004
As part of an extended stay in Fuengirola, Andalucia, we took a one night trip out away from the Costa del Sol, into the country.
Day 1
Our first stop, after a twisting mountain road was Ronda. The 'New Bridge' turned out to be several hundred years old and spanned an extremely deep gorge. The stone bridge is constructed from several arches, crossing the Guadalévin river, 130 metres below. A nearby house offers a stair well through the rocks, emerging on a platform suspended a few feet above the river. The town is also considered to be the home of bull fighting. We visit the museum within the bull ring.
After coffee, we resume our drive to Arcos de la Frontera, a small town clinging to the very edge of a cliff. Our hotel, El Convento, a converted convent, has a luxurious bath room featuring a table and chairs, with two windows looking out across the valley floor, directly down the side of the cliff. We watch red kites soaring on the thermals and Jayne sees one plummet out of the sky, taking a pigeon out. I only heard the mid-air thump. The views were just spectacular. We ate in the hotel restaurant, two streets away, a great meal. The town buildings are almost all white and the narrow cobbled streets can barely handle a large car. The town comes to a halt when a small lorry is parked up outside a street cafe. we sit back, with a coffee and watch the commotion.
Day 2
Leaving Arcos, we drive west to Jerez del la Frontera, commonly known just as Jerez. Our visit is mainly to tour the bodegas of Gonzalez Byass - famous for Tio Pepe, Crofts and Lepanto brandy. This was an interesting visit, providing an insight in to the processes and the way old and new barrels are used to influence the colour and flavour.
Regrettably, we only walked through the town and did not stay long enough to absorb much of the atmosphere. Our early departure to Gibraltar was largely so make it there before the shops closed. We will need to return to Jerez to see it properly, including the famous horses.
As part of an extended stay in Fuengirola, Andalucia, we took a one night trip out away from the Costa del Sol, into the country.
Day 1
Our first stop, after a twisting mountain road was Ronda. The 'New Bridge' turned out to be several hundred years old and spanned an extremely deep gorge. The stone bridge is constructed from several arches, crossing the Guadalévin river, 130 metres below. A nearby house offers a stair well through the rocks, emerging on a platform suspended a few feet above the river. The town is also considered to be the home of bull fighting. We visit the museum within the bull ring.
After coffee, we resume our drive to Arcos de la Frontera, a small town clinging to the very edge of a cliff. Our hotel, El Convento, a converted convent, has a luxurious bath room featuring a table and chairs, with two windows looking out across the valley floor, directly down the side of the cliff. We watch red kites soaring on the thermals and Jayne sees one plummet out of the sky, taking a pigeon out. I only heard the mid-air thump. The views were just spectacular. We ate in the hotel restaurant, two streets away, a great meal. The town buildings are almost all white and the narrow cobbled streets can barely handle a large car. The town comes to a halt when a small lorry is parked up outside a street cafe. we sit back, with a coffee and watch the commotion.
Day 2
Leaving Arcos, we drive west to Jerez del la Frontera, commonly known just as Jerez. Our visit is mainly to tour the bodegas of Gonzalez Byass - famous for Tio Pepe, Crofts and Lepanto brandy. This was an interesting visit, providing an insight in to the processes and the way old and new barrels are used to influence the colour and flavour.
Regrettably, we only walked through the town and did not stay long enough to absorb much of the atmosphere. Our early departure to Gibraltar was largely so make it there before the shops closed. We will need to return to Jerez to see it properly, including the famous horses.
GIBRALTAR - Warm Beer & Barbary Apes
Anybody who regularly stays on the Costa del Sol, will have called in to Gibraltar. Passing through the border control reveals nothing as the air field has to be crossed before you reach the rock and anything recognisably British. Walking or driving across an airport run way is unusual to say the least.
April 2004
My first visit to Gibraltar, as part of my first visit to southern Spain. Driving through the border control was painless. Once across the run way, the first tell tale signs of being a corner of Britain are the UK traffic signals, only out of place because they are on the right hand side of the road still. Gibraltar is a very compact lump of rock with the town and port clinging to the western side. We drove the length of the island, to the most southern point, a pleasant viewing area overlooking the Straight with Morocco visible in the haze. Adjacent to this view point, was the 'Last Shop in Europe'. It was closed...
Returning back the way we had come, we parked at the foot of the cable car and boarded for the ascent to the top of the rock. The view from the glass walled gondola was fabulous. Arriving at the top, revealed a slightly desolate and abandoned outpost; Former military buildings, now relocated to other parts of the hill top. The ruins were not quite uninhabited - the Barbary Apes have found a use for them, mainly sunbathing. Quite unperturbed by human presence, it is thought that they were left behind when Gibraltar was dragged away from Africa with the rest of Europe. The 'Top of the Rock Restaurant' could have been a grand enterprise. It turned out to be a bit of a greasy spoon.
After a brief visit to an off-license to take advantage of the ridiculously cheap prices, we joined the farce that is the Spanish border control. Boots and bonnets inspected on every car. A sign erected by the Gibraltan authorities advises that is just the Spanish being funny as they want Gibraltar back.
January 2005
Another flying visit to take advantage of the cheap spirits and cigarettes. This time we walk in leaving our car at La Linea, the border town. The run way beckons again, a good leg stretch before reaching the town. Arriving on foot means that you get to see the old town gates and defences that the roads circumvent. The fortifications now play host to a variety of bars, shops and arts and crafts centres. We enjoy a beer in the sun before carrying on through the town, looking in the shops for bargains. We visit Pickwick's Pub for a pint of warm beer served from a sticky bar top. It feels great sat in the sunshine though.
The stroll back across the border marked the end of a busy two day trip, away from our main holiday in Fuenguirola.
April 2004
My first visit to Gibraltar, as part of my first visit to southern Spain. Driving through the border control was painless. Once across the run way, the first tell tale signs of being a corner of Britain are the UK traffic signals, only out of place because they are on the right hand side of the road still. Gibraltar is a very compact lump of rock with the town and port clinging to the western side. We drove the length of the island, to the most southern point, a pleasant viewing area overlooking the Straight with Morocco visible in the haze. Adjacent to this view point, was the 'Last Shop in Europe'. It was closed...
Returning back the way we had come, we parked at the foot of the cable car and boarded for the ascent to the top of the rock. The view from the glass walled gondola was fabulous. Arriving at the top, revealed a slightly desolate and abandoned outpost; Former military buildings, now relocated to other parts of the hill top. The ruins were not quite uninhabited - the Barbary Apes have found a use for them, mainly sunbathing. Quite unperturbed by human presence, it is thought that they were left behind when Gibraltar was dragged away from Africa with the rest of Europe. The 'Top of the Rock Restaurant' could have been a grand enterprise. It turned out to be a bit of a greasy spoon.
After a brief visit to an off-license to take advantage of the ridiculously cheap prices, we joined the farce that is the Spanish border control. Boots and bonnets inspected on every car. A sign erected by the Gibraltan authorities advises that is just the Spanish being funny as they want Gibraltar back.
January 2005
Another flying visit to take advantage of the cheap spirits and cigarettes. This time we walk in leaving our car at La Linea, the border town. The run way beckons again, a good leg stretch before reaching the town. Arriving on foot means that you get to see the old town gates and defences that the roads circumvent. The fortifications now play host to a variety of bars, shops and arts and crafts centres. We enjoy a beer in the sun before carrying on through the town, looking in the shops for bargains. We visit Pickwick's Pub for a pint of warm beer served from a sticky bar top. It feels great sat in the sunshine though.
The stroll back across the border marked the end of a busy two day trip, away from our main holiday in Fuenguirola.
Thursday, 8 March 2007
FRANCE - Rouen, like ducks to water
31/03/06
The Newhaven to Dieppe Transmanche Ferry seems to be quite an under used route to France. The yellow ferries, about the size of the Dover route ferries offer basic facilities but sufficient for the three and a half hour crossing. Our boat was a brand new ferry, with a twin level bar at the stern, very comfortable and modern in style.
On arrival in Dieppe, we immediately joined the main road to Rouen. Forty minutes later, we arrived in the town centre. It took another twenty or so minutes to locate our hotel, partly due to road works and partly due to ad-hoc road closures put in place by the police / Gendarmes on account of labour protest marches and riots. Aside from large crowds of marching protesters, fortunately we witnessed no disturbance. The hotel was a bit of a disappointment, described as ‘all rooms having a view of the cathedral or the River Seine’. Ours had neither. It did face the river, but the only glimpse was one of a road bridge crossing the river and then only if you strained to see it.
Abandoning our luggage, we set off on foot around the town centre, following a suggested route from our Michelin Green Guide to Normandy. Taking in the cathedral, some other old churches, the shopping areas, streets lined with ancient timber framed houses (typical of the town) with streams flowing through the road. The town centre is quite compact and ideal for a walking break. We visited a bar or two for refreshments and later in the evening, where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake on Rouen's Old Market Square (Place du Vieux-Marché), we settled in a restaurant that served the local specialty – Rouenaise Duck. First, the duck is roasted and brought out for the diner to inspect. It is taken away again and when returned, it is served in a rich dark brown sauce, with vegetables and potatoes. Having filled yourself with this course, they waiter presents the other half of the duck, this time served in a lemon flavoured light breadcrumb coating with a green salad. The two servings of duck compliment each other perfectly.
01/04/06
The next morning we checked out and again using our Michelin book, followed a driving tour through the Ile de France area, stopping once or twice to admire the countryside.
In the afternoon, arriving early in Dieppe, we enjoyed a good stroll around the old fishing port, finding a corner café that served Belgian beer. Once check-in had opened, we boarded the Transmanche ferry, this time to find that instead of a brand new ferry, we were sailing on a 1970s Sardinian ferry, complete with gold panelled ceilings, aqua blue carpets and warm beer served in small plastic beakers. The two ferries were chalk and cheese. It had been a pleasant and amusing one night trip to a pretty old town.
The Newhaven to Dieppe Transmanche Ferry seems to be quite an under used route to France. The yellow ferries, about the size of the Dover route ferries offer basic facilities but sufficient for the three and a half hour crossing. Our boat was a brand new ferry, with a twin level bar at the stern, very comfortable and modern in style.
On arrival in Dieppe, we immediately joined the main road to Rouen. Forty minutes later, we arrived in the town centre. It took another twenty or so minutes to locate our hotel, partly due to road works and partly due to ad-hoc road closures put in place by the police / Gendarmes on account of labour protest marches and riots. Aside from large crowds of marching protesters, fortunately we witnessed no disturbance. The hotel was a bit of a disappointment, described as ‘all rooms having a view of the cathedral or the River Seine’. Ours had neither. It did face the river, but the only glimpse was one of a road bridge crossing the river and then only if you strained to see it.
Abandoning our luggage, we set off on foot around the town centre, following a suggested route from our Michelin Green Guide to Normandy. Taking in the cathedral, some other old churches, the shopping areas, streets lined with ancient timber framed houses (typical of the town) with streams flowing through the road. The town centre is quite compact and ideal for a walking break. We visited a bar or two for refreshments and later in the evening, where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake on Rouen's Old Market Square (Place du Vieux-Marché), we settled in a restaurant that served the local specialty – Rouenaise Duck. First, the duck is roasted and brought out for the diner to inspect. It is taken away again and when returned, it is served in a rich dark brown sauce, with vegetables and potatoes. Having filled yourself with this course, they waiter presents the other half of the duck, this time served in a lemon flavoured light breadcrumb coating with a green salad. The two servings of duck compliment each other perfectly.
01/04/06
The next morning we checked out and again using our Michelin book, followed a driving tour through the Ile de France area, stopping once or twice to admire the countryside.
In the afternoon, arriving early in Dieppe, we enjoyed a good stroll around the old fishing port, finding a corner café that served Belgian beer. Once check-in had opened, we boarded the Transmanche ferry, this time to find that instead of a brand new ferry, we were sailing on a 1970s Sardinian ferry, complete with gold panelled ceilings, aqua blue carpets and warm beer served in small plastic beakers. The two ferries were chalk and cheese. It had been a pleasant and amusing one night trip to a pretty old town.
Tuesday, 6 March 2007
SPAIN - Castro Urdiales & a three night mini-cruise
November 2005
P&O Ferries have for many years, operated a car ferry service from Portsmouth to Bilbao in northern Spain. The ferry that operates this route is amongst the largest in their fleet and carries passengers, cars and freight from Portsmouth, across the English Channel, around Ushant and across the Bay of Biscay, taking one day and two nights to get there, and two days and one night to get back. Through out the year, passengers board the ship for a mini-cruise, a return ticket out and back in three nights and three days. Up for something a bit different, we took advantage of a ridiculous ticket price of £70 return, for two adults with a cabin.
Day 1
Boarding the ferry in Portsmouth during the evening of Day 1, it was already cold and blustery and this did not bode well for the passage. Having eaten at home prior to departure, we settled down in the bar for the evening, watching the cabaret performances.
There were many 'old hands' on this cruise, all equipped with their own full supply of stores and on first name terms with the host! We had anticipated being held captive for food and drink so had off-set this a bit by bringing our own travel kettle and a few essentials.
Day 2
In the early hours of the morning, the ship rounded Ushant, in the shipping separation lanes of the north west coast on Brittany, France. This was our last glimpse of land, sailing by in the distance. The ship really does have quite a few facilities and we made the most of the gym, open decks, shops, restaurants and bars. The Bay of Biscay is an area highly populated by marine mammals - whales and dolphins of all types. We spent quite a lot of time looking for them. The ship is permanent home to a scientific observation charity - the Biscay Dolphin Research Programme. We saw a slide show and lecture about this, with hints and tips on where to look.
After our evening meal in one of the restaurants, the evening was spent partly in the bar with the live entertainment, which included our participation on stage in a game of Family Fortunes. It was a close thing, but we lost. Our prize as runner-up was a cocktail each. The winners got a free ticket each on another min-cruise. We may have had the better deal....
Day 3
Arrival in Santurzi, the port town for Bilbao. The mountains behind the town were snow capped. We had opted for one of the coach assisted tours for our morning ashore - only 5 hours in Spain. We were chauffeured to Castro Urdiales, a small fishing port a few miles west of Bilbao. It was very pretty, with an inner and outer harbour, protected from the Bay of Biscay by a large breakwater, which we strolled along. The town was quite compact and we strolled the back streets. Overlooking the harbour is a striking Gothic church and the remains of a Roman bridge. After whiling away some time in a cafe, we re boarded the coach for the journey back to the ship.
Once back on board and departed for home, we settled down to some serious dolphin spotting, only interrupted by some serious drinking. Starting out on deck, we were blown away by the vicious cold wild and retreated to the forward observation deck. Situated over 100 feet above sea level, it was quite a surprise to see waves breaking over the windows in front of us. Patience paid off and eventually we had a fleeting glimpse of dolphins, speeding in from the side to ride the bow way of the ship. Only a few seconds of seeing the small grey things between wave crests seemed to justify the time spent waiting. Later, we went to another lecture where the BDRP observer described all the sightings he had made during our passage. Clearly, a lot more can be seen from his desk on the ship's bridge....
In the evening, after another meal in the restaurant, we purchased cinema tickets and watched, "School of Rock" only, spoiled by the endless chatter of school kids...
Day 4
Daylight as you enter the English Channel is a surprisingly pleasant sight. Time was spent still looking for dolphins, but to no avail. The Atlantic grey water soon turned into the channel brown as we closed on Portsmouth. This day really did feel a bit like we were waiting just to get home, which was a shame as the previous days had been nothing but fun (except maybe a bit of queasiness at times). Portsmouth always looks great when arriving in the dark. The illuminations on Southsea sea front and the lights of The Solent never fail to please me.
The trip had been a great mix of nature, history, travel and fun and whilst we would not be booking out tickets any time soon, I have no doubt that we will go again.
P&O Ferries have for many years, operated a car ferry service from Portsmouth to Bilbao in northern Spain. The ferry that operates this route is amongst the largest in their fleet and carries passengers, cars and freight from Portsmouth, across the English Channel, around Ushant and across the Bay of Biscay, taking one day and two nights to get there, and two days and one night to get back. Through out the year, passengers board the ship for a mini-cruise, a return ticket out and back in three nights and three days. Up for something a bit different, we took advantage of a ridiculous ticket price of £70 return, for two adults with a cabin.
Day 1
Boarding the ferry in Portsmouth during the evening of Day 1, it was already cold and blustery and this did not bode well for the passage. Having eaten at home prior to departure, we settled down in the bar for the evening, watching the cabaret performances.
There were many 'old hands' on this cruise, all equipped with their own full supply of stores and on first name terms with the host! We had anticipated being held captive for food and drink so had off-set this a bit by bringing our own travel kettle and a few essentials.
Day 2
In the early hours of the morning, the ship rounded Ushant, in the shipping separation lanes of the north west coast on Brittany, France. This was our last glimpse of land, sailing by in the distance. The ship really does have quite a few facilities and we made the most of the gym, open decks, shops, restaurants and bars. The Bay of Biscay is an area highly populated by marine mammals - whales and dolphins of all types. We spent quite a lot of time looking for them. The ship is permanent home to a scientific observation charity - the Biscay Dolphin Research Programme. We saw a slide show and lecture about this, with hints and tips on where to look.
After our evening meal in one of the restaurants, the evening was spent partly in the bar with the live entertainment, which included our participation on stage in a game of Family Fortunes. It was a close thing, but we lost. Our prize as runner-up was a cocktail each. The winners got a free ticket each on another min-cruise. We may have had the better deal....
Day 3
Arrival in Santurzi, the port town for Bilbao. The mountains behind the town were snow capped. We had opted for one of the coach assisted tours for our morning ashore - only 5 hours in Spain. We were chauffeured to Castro Urdiales, a small fishing port a few miles west of Bilbao. It was very pretty, with an inner and outer harbour, protected from the Bay of Biscay by a large breakwater, which we strolled along. The town was quite compact and we strolled the back streets. Overlooking the harbour is a striking Gothic church and the remains of a Roman bridge. After whiling away some time in a cafe, we re boarded the coach for the journey back to the ship.
Once back on board and departed for home, we settled down to some serious dolphin spotting, only interrupted by some serious drinking. Starting out on deck, we were blown away by the vicious cold wild and retreated to the forward observation deck. Situated over 100 feet above sea level, it was quite a surprise to see waves breaking over the windows in front of us. Patience paid off and eventually we had a fleeting glimpse of dolphins, speeding in from the side to ride the bow way of the ship. Only a few seconds of seeing the small grey things between wave crests seemed to justify the time spent waiting. Later, we went to another lecture where the BDRP observer described all the sightings he had made during our passage. Clearly, a lot more can be seen from his desk on the ship's bridge....
In the evening, after another meal in the restaurant, we purchased cinema tickets and watched, "School of Rock" only, spoiled by the endless chatter of school kids...
Day 4
Daylight as you enter the English Channel is a surprisingly pleasant sight. Time was spent still looking for dolphins, but to no avail. The Atlantic grey water soon turned into the channel brown as we closed on Portsmouth. This day really did feel a bit like we were waiting just to get home, which was a shame as the previous days had been nothing but fun (except maybe a bit of queasiness at times). Portsmouth always looks great when arriving in the dark. The illuminations on Southsea sea front and the lights of The Solent never fail to please me.
The trip had been a great mix of nature, history, travel and fun and whilst we would not be booking out tickets any time soon, I have no doubt that we will go again.
FRANCE - Mont St Michel & Suisse Normande
13/07/05
After taking an over night Brittany Ferry to St Malo, the early arrival did not mean that our first port of call would be quiet…
Following the coast road east from St Malo, Mont St Michel is dramatically set off-shore, but I had not expected it to be as dramatic as it was. The isle, walls and abbey arise from the surrounding sands in a magnificently towering scene, truly awe inspiring. The approach road less so – the car parks rather spoil the view, especially the numerous motor homes that flock to the area. Not that I blame them….
The stroll along the causeway bridge left me full of anticipation and I could not get the camera to reflect the moment. Entering the walled town, the cobbled street climbs steeply, past numerous gift shops and cafes. We stop at one to take in the views across the sands to other small islands.
We finish the climb to the abbey to absorb the surroundings and photograph everything.
Drifting back down through the street, we buy a postcard – a print of a oil painting depicting the spectacle – to frame and hang in our bath room. We see that the tide is coming in as fast as a person running. We tip-toe out on to the sands to take photographs with no cars in the shot.
Back in the car and into shorts now as it was so warm, we start the journey across the base of the Cherbourg Peninsular as our return ferry departs Caen at tea-time. Our route takes us through a beautifully hilly area known as Suisse Normande – named after Switzerland as the hills rise out of the surrounding plains in a very defined way. We stop at the top of Roche d’Oetre, a rocky outcrop with views across forests and the valley below. The drive continues to Falaise where we turn northwards to Caen and Ouistreham port, with a supermarket stop for supplies for home.
After taking an over night Brittany Ferry to St Malo, the early arrival did not mean that our first port of call would be quiet…
Following the coast road east from St Malo, Mont St Michel is dramatically set off-shore, but I had not expected it to be as dramatic as it was. The isle, walls and abbey arise from the surrounding sands in a magnificently towering scene, truly awe inspiring. The approach road less so – the car parks rather spoil the view, especially the numerous motor homes that flock to the area. Not that I blame them….
The stroll along the causeway bridge left me full of anticipation and I could not get the camera to reflect the moment. Entering the walled town, the cobbled street climbs steeply, past numerous gift shops and cafes. We stop at one to take in the views across the sands to other small islands.
We finish the climb to the abbey to absorb the surroundings and photograph everything.
Drifting back down through the street, we buy a postcard – a print of a oil painting depicting the spectacle – to frame and hang in our bath room. We see that the tide is coming in as fast as a person running. We tip-toe out on to the sands to take photographs with no cars in the shot.
Back in the car and into shorts now as it was so warm, we start the journey across the base of the Cherbourg Peninsular as our return ferry departs Caen at tea-time. Our route takes us through a beautifully hilly area known as Suisse Normande – named after Switzerland as the hills rise out of the surrounding plains in a very defined way. We stop at the top of Roche d’Oetre, a rocky outcrop with views across forests and the valley below. The drive continues to Falaise where we turn northwards to Caen and Ouistreham port, with a supermarket stop for supplies for home.
THE NETHERLANDS - Amsterdam
09/12/05
We had a bargain P&O ferry ticket, from Hull to Rotterdam return. This gave a day in Holland and I had a demanding itinery in Amsterdam. The first problem was that the motorway on AA autoroute had not actually been built. This caused twenty minutes of confusion before we found an alternative route.
Arriving in Amsterdam was a bit of a trauma for me. I had driven on the continent numerous times, but never in a town with trams. Working out which bits of tarmac were for cars, which were for trams and which bits were shared gave me palpitations. Would a tram stop if you suddenly found yourself in their path? Could they stop? After a few laps of the town centre, trying to navigate to a car park, I was glad to be parked up and out on foot. The busy day was to include several parks, walks, churches and museums, but in my naivety I had planned too much. We walked the Leidseplein and Prinsengracht canal to Anne Frank’s house. This was a poignant experience to think that a family lived in such a confined space for so long.
The Westerkerk tower was closed so we walked in to The Dam to view the Nieuwe Kerk, national monument and Koninklijk palace – from the outside only. The square was a hive of activity, but it was quite a cold day so we did not stop for long. Lunch in a brown café - Eggs on bread with beer. I’m hooked now. After strolling the adjacent market and shops, we take in the Begijnhof old timber house before visiting the Van Gogh art gallery – and this was really worth it. A fantastic ‘proper art' experience. After a brief stroll through one end of Vondel Park, we are forced to drive back to Rotterdam to check in, rolling on to the ferry with only vapour left in the petrol tank.
We had a bargain P&O ferry ticket, from Hull to Rotterdam return. This gave a day in Holland and I had a demanding itinery in Amsterdam. The first problem was that the motorway on AA autoroute had not actually been built. This caused twenty minutes of confusion before we found an alternative route.
Arriving in Amsterdam was a bit of a trauma for me. I had driven on the continent numerous times, but never in a town with trams. Working out which bits of tarmac were for cars, which were for trams and which bits were shared gave me palpitations. Would a tram stop if you suddenly found yourself in their path? Could they stop? After a few laps of the town centre, trying to navigate to a car park, I was glad to be parked up and out on foot. The busy day was to include several parks, walks, churches and museums, but in my naivety I had planned too much. We walked the Leidseplein and Prinsengracht canal to Anne Frank’s house. This was a poignant experience to think that a family lived in such a confined space for so long.
The Westerkerk tower was closed so we walked in to The Dam to view the Nieuwe Kerk, national monument and Koninklijk palace – from the outside only. The square was a hive of activity, but it was quite a cold day so we did not stop for long. Lunch in a brown café - Eggs on bread with beer. I’m hooked now. After strolling the adjacent market and shops, we take in the Begijnhof old timber house before visiting the Van Gogh art gallery – and this was really worth it. A fantastic ‘proper art' experience. After a brief stroll through one end of Vondel Park, we are forced to drive back to Rotterdam to check in, rolling on to the ferry with only vapour left in the petrol tank.
Monday, 5 March 2007
JERSEY - Cycling in the Channel Islands
03/07/06
With Condor ferries again, but this time to Jersey and with bicycles. I had devised a circuit following designated cycle routes and paths, around the western half of the island, approximately 30 miles in length. The route involved cycling the sea front a St Helier, around St Aubin’s Bay passing the off-shore Elizabeth Castle and a steady but gentle climb along a track to Corbiere point at the south-west corner. It was a lovely sunny day and we hoped that the weather would hold. The Corbiere point light house, out of a rocky promontory swept by wind and wave was an attractive stopping place. We followed the track around the head land into St Ouen’s Bay stopping for a beer at a beach front pub. At the northern end of the bay, we were both off the bikes and walking up the steep climbs around Gros Nez in the north-east corner. We stopped for lunch at a pub at Greve au Lanchon. After this, the route was mainly of tiny green lanes, four or five feet wide where cycles have priority over cars, if they are permitted at all. We steadily climbed as we headed east and the day was drawing on. Turning south after the Devil’s Hole (something that we never saw despite actually being there), the road was a steady meander down hill to the Jersey War Tunnels museum, also known as HO8. Over one thousand metres of tunnels were carved from the rock, deep into the hills during the German occupation between 1940 and 1945. Forced labour was used and the chill present in the complex of passages reminds the visitor of the many that died in the construction. It was intended as an ammunition depot, but was later adapted to be a military hospital, although it was never actually used in either form.
Emerging back into the sunshine, we stayed for a coffee before finishing the descent to the sea front. We cycled back to St Helier, in search of a bar. We settled at one near the port, while we waited for the ferry.
With Condor ferries again, but this time to Jersey and with bicycles. I had devised a circuit following designated cycle routes and paths, around the western half of the island, approximately 30 miles in length. The route involved cycling the sea front a St Helier, around St Aubin’s Bay passing the off-shore Elizabeth Castle and a steady but gentle climb along a track to Corbiere point at the south-west corner. It was a lovely sunny day and we hoped that the weather would hold. The Corbiere point light house, out of a rocky promontory swept by wind and wave was an attractive stopping place. We followed the track around the head land into St Ouen’s Bay stopping for a beer at a beach front pub. At the northern end of the bay, we were both off the bikes and walking up the steep climbs around Gros Nez in the north-east corner. We stopped for lunch at a pub at Greve au Lanchon. After this, the route was mainly of tiny green lanes, four or five feet wide where cycles have priority over cars, if they are permitted at all. We steadily climbed as we headed east and the day was drawing on. Turning south after the Devil’s Hole (something that we never saw despite actually being there), the road was a steady meander down hill to the Jersey War Tunnels museum, also known as HO8. Over one thousand metres of tunnels were carved from the rock, deep into the hills during the German occupation between 1940 and 1945. Forced labour was used and the chill present in the complex of passages reminds the visitor of the many that died in the construction. It was intended as an ammunition depot, but was later adapted to be a military hospital, although it was never actually used in either form.
Emerging back into the sunshine, we stayed for a coffee before finishing the descent to the sea front. We cycled back to St Helier, in search of a bar. We settled at one near the port, while we waited for the ferry.
GUERNSEY - Channel Islands
21/11/05
Our first taste of the Channel Islands – a day trip to Guernsey as foot passengers on board a Condor Ferry from Weymouth. With a typically early start, we set off on a cold and overcast day, to find that the wind blast on the open deck of the stern of a fast-cat can literally take your breath away when mid-channel. St Peter Port, the capital town of the Isle of Guernsey was reached a shade over two hours later. It was also very out of season and the plan to visit Castle Cornet was quickly blown out – it was closed for the winter… We strolled the port and shopping streets and cafes but fortunately we did not have many hours ashore otherwise this could have been a really disastrous day.
This was an early trip in our travels and it taught us an important lesson in planning and keeping our options open. We should have planned alternatives and taken a bus to reach other parts of the island
Our first taste of the Channel Islands – a day trip to Guernsey as foot passengers on board a Condor Ferry from Weymouth. With a typically early start, we set off on a cold and overcast day, to find that the wind blast on the open deck of the stern of a fast-cat can literally take your breath away when mid-channel. St Peter Port, the capital town of the Isle of Guernsey was reached a shade over two hours later. It was also very out of season and the plan to visit Castle Cornet was quickly blown out – it was closed for the winter… We strolled the port and shopping streets and cafes but fortunately we did not have many hours ashore otherwise this could have been a really disastrous day.
This was an early trip in our travels and it taught us an important lesson in planning and keeping our options open. We should have planned alternatives and taken a bus to reach other parts of the island
SPAIN - an Andalucian loop - Cadiz, Seville & Cordoba
01/02/05
As part of a ten day stay in Spain at Jayne’s parent’s flat in Fuengirola, we hired a car to undertake a loop of classical Andalucia – Cadiz, Seville and Cordoba. Along with these main destinations where we would stay overnight, we were also to visit the towns of Carmona and Antequera.
Taking the wind swept Atlantic coast road from Tarifa to Cadiz was a sight to behold. Climbing past the wind farm at Tarifa, we were greeted with a panoramic view of the Straits of Gibraltar, before dropping down to the coast and sandy beaches. Hugging the coast, we arrived at Cadiz around midday. Cadiz is small, a peninsular almost surrounded by water, except for the long arm of land that carries the road and railway to the town. Our 3 star hotel, was outside of the ancient city walls, but only a short hop away. We strolled along the front and through the city gates. With the sea to our left, we were greeted with views of the domes of the cathedral and the remains of a roman theatre. We wandered the churches and narrow cobbled streets, lined with white washed buildings, so very quiet with out the noise of cars or industry. We stopped in front of the cathedral for coffee, before climbing the steps to the top of the Torre de Poniente. The sun was glimmering off of the golden domes and the maze of white buildings before us was a remarkable sight, with the sea in the back ground. Cadiz would be one of the places that we must return to. We continued to roam the streets, the port and coast line until we retired to the hotel to change. We came back into the old town to dine that night.
02/02/05
After a stretch of autovia, we arrived in Seville quite early today. We found our hotel with surprising ease, but then struggled to stop nearby to find the parking. This hotel was a 2 star, but still very nice albeit a good ten minute walk from the centre of the old town centre. Seville was to offer many attractions and was a long day of walking. We visited the Alcazar, with similar buildings and gardens to the Alhambra palaces at Granada, only a smaller scale. The cathedral as with others in the area, was formerly a mosque, later converted to a cathedral. The minaret was adapted and is now known as the Giralda. The climb to the top was easy, a sloping path around the four sides of the tower instead of stairs. A king had even ridden his horse to the top. The view is inspiring, encompassing a bull ring, the river and towers amongst many sights. After a coffee, we walked further across town to the Plaza de Espana, an enormous semi-circular red brick built palatial construction, with a moat and central fountain, built for the 1929 exhibition. We followed the River Guadalquivir past the Torre del Oro (in scaffolding) and bull ring, back into town stopping at tiny back street bars.
03/02/05
Leaving Seville, it was not long before we came to Carmona, a small quaint town. With ancient city walls and gates, we strolled the streets to see several churches including one with a tower modelled on the Giralda at Seville, clearly very similar only much smaller. The roman ruins remained unseen by us as a man in uniform stood in the road seemingly not wanting us to park….
We had only stopped for a short break so continued to our intended destination. The road to Cordoba was surrounded by green rolling fields of olive trees, as far as the eye could see in all directions. It was quite a shock compared to the dryness of the coastal Andalucian hills. Having been fore warned about parking problems, we were prepared with a booking at Hostel Lineros, near to all the central historic areas. At barely a 1 star, it was a magical quaint room, with a Moorish central court yard in a building several hundred years old. It was also conveniently close to the Mezquita, another converted mosque. Typically Spanish, the many chapels dedicated to various saints were shoe-horned in amongst the existing and expansive mosque, still complete with hundreds of red and white striped arches. This itself though had been built on a Christian church, showing the history of the Moorish invasion and re-conquering of this area. Nearby, we visited another alcazar fortress also on the bank of the Guadalquivir, with roman baths, towers and attractive water gardens, previously driven by an enormous arabic water wheel on the bank of the river. We strolled the streets of the Jewish quarter and the town walls.
04/02/05
Leaving Cordoba was hard. It was a fantastic town and we had only scratched the surface.
Our route back to Fuengirola would take us to Antequera. Situated on the slopes of a hill, with a large church and castle remains open to the public, it provided a pleasant break to the journey, with coffee at a café overlooking the town and hills surrounding. Antequera was another town of white washed buildings and church spires. Before we got to the coast, we were caught in a deluge of rain that cleared just as we got back to the flat. The bug of seeing all of Spain had got us.
As part of a ten day stay in Spain at Jayne’s parent’s flat in Fuengirola, we hired a car to undertake a loop of classical Andalucia – Cadiz, Seville and Cordoba. Along with these main destinations where we would stay overnight, we were also to visit the towns of Carmona and Antequera.
Taking the wind swept Atlantic coast road from Tarifa to Cadiz was a sight to behold. Climbing past the wind farm at Tarifa, we were greeted with a panoramic view of the Straits of Gibraltar, before dropping down to the coast and sandy beaches. Hugging the coast, we arrived at Cadiz around midday. Cadiz is small, a peninsular almost surrounded by water, except for the long arm of land that carries the road and railway to the town. Our 3 star hotel, was outside of the ancient city walls, but only a short hop away. We strolled along the front and through the city gates. With the sea to our left, we were greeted with views of the domes of the cathedral and the remains of a roman theatre. We wandered the churches and narrow cobbled streets, lined with white washed buildings, so very quiet with out the noise of cars or industry. We stopped in front of the cathedral for coffee, before climbing the steps to the top of the Torre de Poniente. The sun was glimmering off of the golden domes and the maze of white buildings before us was a remarkable sight, with the sea in the back ground. Cadiz would be one of the places that we must return to. We continued to roam the streets, the port and coast line until we retired to the hotel to change. We came back into the old town to dine that night.
02/02/05
After a stretch of autovia, we arrived in Seville quite early today. We found our hotel with surprising ease, but then struggled to stop nearby to find the parking. This hotel was a 2 star, but still very nice albeit a good ten minute walk from the centre of the old town centre. Seville was to offer many attractions and was a long day of walking. We visited the Alcazar, with similar buildings and gardens to the Alhambra palaces at Granada, only a smaller scale. The cathedral as with others in the area, was formerly a mosque, later converted to a cathedral. The minaret was adapted and is now known as the Giralda. The climb to the top was easy, a sloping path around the four sides of the tower instead of stairs. A king had even ridden his horse to the top. The view is inspiring, encompassing a bull ring, the river and towers amongst many sights. After a coffee, we walked further across town to the Plaza de Espana, an enormous semi-circular red brick built palatial construction, with a moat and central fountain, built for the 1929 exhibition. We followed the River Guadalquivir past the Torre del Oro (in scaffolding) and bull ring, back into town stopping at tiny back street bars.
03/02/05
Leaving Seville, it was not long before we came to Carmona, a small quaint town. With ancient city walls and gates, we strolled the streets to see several churches including one with a tower modelled on the Giralda at Seville, clearly very similar only much smaller. The roman ruins remained unseen by us as a man in uniform stood in the road seemingly not wanting us to park….
We had only stopped for a short break so continued to our intended destination. The road to Cordoba was surrounded by green rolling fields of olive trees, as far as the eye could see in all directions. It was quite a shock compared to the dryness of the coastal Andalucian hills. Having been fore warned about parking problems, we were prepared with a booking at Hostel Lineros, near to all the central historic areas. At barely a 1 star, it was a magical quaint room, with a Moorish central court yard in a building several hundred years old. It was also conveniently close to the Mezquita, another converted mosque. Typically Spanish, the many chapels dedicated to various saints were shoe-horned in amongst the existing and expansive mosque, still complete with hundreds of red and white striped arches. This itself though had been built on a Christian church, showing the history of the Moorish invasion and re-conquering of this area. Nearby, we visited another alcazar fortress also on the bank of the Guadalquivir, with roman baths, towers and attractive water gardens, previously driven by an enormous arabic water wheel on the bank of the river. We strolled the streets of the Jewish quarter and the town walls.
04/02/05
Leaving Cordoba was hard. It was a fantastic town and we had only scratched the surface.
Our route back to Fuengirola would take us to Antequera. Situated on the slopes of a hill, with a large church and castle remains open to the public, it provided a pleasant break to the journey, with coffee at a café overlooking the town and hills surrounding. Antequera was another town of white washed buildings and church spires. Before we got to the coast, we were caught in a deluge of rain that cleared just as we got back to the flat. The bug of seeing all of Spain had got us.
Sunday, 4 March 2007
SCOTLAND - Edinburgh
10/01/06
A cheap New Year flight with Flybe to Edinburgh from Southampton to start off the year’s travelling. Just the medicine after Christmas as well. Arriving in the morning, this was just a one night break in the capital city of Scotland. We had booked a fairly central but discreetly located hotel, Taylor’s Hall. Edinburgh is split in to respects. Firstly, some of it, such as the famous castle is ancient. Then surrounding it are the Georgian streets and buildings, leading up to Carlton Hill. The other respect is the way the city is physically at two levels. Looking at the map, I could not understand how the roads connected, but when we arrived by bus from the airport, the walk to the hotel revealed that Edinburgh could have been something dreamt up by MC Escher.
We spent the day walking around the castle area, looking in the shops on the beautiful cobbled Victoria Street and Grassmarket, almost missing the Greyfriar’s Bobby statue. Heading up the Royal Mile, stopping at pubs and the People’s Story museum, we reached the gates of the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Scottish Parliament building that cost ten times the original estimate to build it. The climb to the top of Carlton Hill meanders through houses and parkland. The half finished national monument, like roman columns is visible from most of the town. The statue of Nelson is equally prominent. As the evening drew in, the lights of Princes Street became visible and we descended to the warmth of the pubs along this stretch. In the evening, we climbed the steps to the top of the castle hill and dined at The Witchery, a renowned restaurant with a wine list that offered unimaginably expensive bottles, such as pink champagne at £2500 a throw. The food was very good, but I never felt that it justified the price tag…
11/01/06
In the day light, the number of steps to the top of the castle hill became apparent. We toured the castle which was just as good as I expected it to be, followed by the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, an odd carriage tour of the whisky making process as you sip a taster of single malt from a souvenir glass. Opposite we saw the Tartan Weaving Mill and Exhibition and the Camera Obscura, offering a unique view of the city through a lens. Walked down through the gardens to Prices Street and behind to the shopping areas of Rose Street and George Street. After a meal in an American diner and stroll through the Waverly Market, we caught the bus back to airport to conclude this quick getaway.
A cheap New Year flight with Flybe to Edinburgh from Southampton to start off the year’s travelling. Just the medicine after Christmas as well. Arriving in the morning, this was just a one night break in the capital city of Scotland. We had booked a fairly central but discreetly located hotel, Taylor’s Hall. Edinburgh is split in to respects. Firstly, some of it, such as the famous castle is ancient. Then surrounding it are the Georgian streets and buildings, leading up to Carlton Hill. The other respect is the way the city is physically at two levels. Looking at the map, I could not understand how the roads connected, but when we arrived by bus from the airport, the walk to the hotel revealed that Edinburgh could have been something dreamt up by MC Escher.
We spent the day walking around the castle area, looking in the shops on the beautiful cobbled Victoria Street and Grassmarket, almost missing the Greyfriar’s Bobby statue. Heading up the Royal Mile, stopping at pubs and the People’s Story museum, we reached the gates of the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Scottish Parliament building that cost ten times the original estimate to build it. The climb to the top of Carlton Hill meanders through houses and parkland. The half finished national monument, like roman columns is visible from most of the town. The statue of Nelson is equally prominent. As the evening drew in, the lights of Princes Street became visible and we descended to the warmth of the pubs along this stretch. In the evening, we climbed the steps to the top of the castle hill and dined at The Witchery, a renowned restaurant with a wine list that offered unimaginably expensive bottles, such as pink champagne at £2500 a throw. The food was very good, but I never felt that it justified the price tag…
11/01/06
In the day light, the number of steps to the top of the castle hill became apparent. We toured the castle which was just as good as I expected it to be, followed by the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, an odd carriage tour of the whisky making process as you sip a taster of single malt from a souvenir glass. Opposite we saw the Tartan Weaving Mill and Exhibition and the Camera Obscura, offering a unique view of the city through a lens. Walked down through the gardens to Prices Street and behind to the shopping areas of Rose Street and George Street. After a meal in an American diner and stroll through the Waverly Market, we caught the bus back to airport to conclude this quick getaway.
HUNGARY - Budapest
16/12/06
Our plans to arrive early in Budapest were scuppered by Easyjet - not only had our flight date changed but on checking in at London Luton, the plane was delayed by a few hours - insufficient pilots.... Unperturbed, our plan was to split the city in to two parts, Buda and Pest. The third day of the trip was to be with a hire car, heading off to Lake Balaton for the day prior to our flight home. Best laid plans.....
The flight itself was good and with a taxi ride into town straight to our hotel, we hit the ground running. Our hotel, the Carlton was at the foot of the Buda hill. We climbed the steps to get our first view over Budapest and River Danube flowing through, separating Buda and Pest. Walking past the Hungarian National Gallery, a fabulous building, formerly a royal palace, we drifted through the upper town to the Fisherman's Bastion, an amazing promenade of turrets and spires with brilliant views of the river and the Hungarian Parliament. It is a photographers dream with the architecture.
We visited the adjacent Matthias church (photo), with an ornate multicoloured tiled roof. This church is the burial place of several kings and is the crowning church for many others. Descending the hill to the river, we stroll and find a small back street bar and enjoy a few beers. Later in the evening, in a cold wind funnelled sown the river, we take in a stroll, over the historic chain bridge (photo above), past the parliament building before crossing back to the Buda side. We climb the hill to the top and eat at the highly rated Rivalda restaurant, to the tones of a jazz saxophonist. We ride the funicular down the hill to the hotel.
We visited the adjacent Matthias church (photo), with an ornate multicoloured tiled roof. This church is the burial place of several kings and is the crowning church for many others. Descending the hill to the river, we stroll and find a small back street bar and enjoy a few beers. Later in the evening, in a cold wind funnelled sown the river, we take in a stroll, over the historic chain bridge (photo above), past the parliament building before crossing back to the Buda side. We climb the hill to the top and eat at the highly rated Rivalda restaurant, to the tones of a jazz saxophonist. We ride the funicular down the hill to the hotel.17/12/06
Pest. We leave the hotel early, walking the river side to Margaret Island. A stroll through the large park area, watching the joggers and birds. Once back to the bridge entrance to the island, we walk the streets to the state opera house, a grand building, plushly decorated inside. Next, we stop for coffee opposite the basilica of St Stephen. A tour of the inside proves that it is a remarkable building and very ornate. It contains the strangest relic - the mummified forearm of St Stephen. We stroll through the famous Christmas market at Vorosmarty Ter, purchasing gifts for family. On Vaci Ut, we stop for mulled wine and shopping. We make our way to the Hungarian National Museum and see the roman remains amongst other things. We recross the river, with views of steam rising from the Gelert Baths and return to the bar we visited on our first day. Goulash naturally.
18/12/06
We check out and find that the taxi to the airport costs twice as much as getting into to town. At the airport, we are bitterly disappointed to find that there is no sign of our hire car, or any representative. I run out of change telephoning them. We wait for a bit and then a bit longer. We consider going to the other airport terminals. We falter for too long and can no longer justify the enormous cost of renting a car at the airport. We fly home determined not make the same mistake - no meet and greet cars again.
SPAIN - Ceuta, a Spanish corner of Morocco
Late Jan 2005, possibly 29th or 30th
This overnight trip was part of a longer stay in main-land Spain. As the place is such an unusual one, I felt that it deserved it's own record. It was partly as a follow up to our trip to Tangier the year before and partly for completeness in our ambition to see all of Spain.
Ceuta is an enclave. A spit of land forming part of Morocco, a bit like Gibraltar is to Spain. I found the correl
ation between the two quite amusing. The Spanish government want Gibraltar back despite the residents who resist it. The Gibraltans are hassled at the border. It is no different with the Spanish refusing to hand back Ceuta to the Moroccans. It is funny that the Spanish government over look this. Ceuta is seen as the gate way to Africa. The Africans see it as a holding area, for those caught trying to cross the Straits of Gibraltar hoping for a better life.
The ferry crossing from Algeciras to Ceuta is a swift one (Euroferrys), similar to the crossing to Tangier. The high speed catamaran service delivers you to the port in 35 minutes. A short walk later, we checked in at the Tryp Ceuta hotel near the centre. The attractions are few and far between. Even the Parador hotel is a prefabricated concrete monster. We strolled the town, port and historic city walls which were the most attractive thing we found, with a deep sea moat, built to defend the town from invaders.
Unfortunately, as it was very much out of season, we could not even find a restaurant and ate at the hotel. The food was good and despite the apparently run down area, it was still an interesting place, especially as it snowed while we were walking the town. It was possibly the most remarkable thing about the trip. I would return in the summer but only for a day trip. It did not justify an over-night stop.
This overnight trip was part of a longer stay in main-land Spain. As the place is such an unusual one, I felt that it deserved it's own record. It was partly as a follow up to our trip to Tangier the year before and partly for completeness in our ambition to see all of Spain.
Ceuta is an enclave. A spit of land forming part of Morocco, a bit like Gibraltar is to Spain. I found the correl
ation between the two quite amusing. The Spanish government want Gibraltar back despite the residents who resist it. The Gibraltans are hassled at the border. It is no different with the Spanish refusing to hand back Ceuta to the Moroccans. It is funny that the Spanish government over look this. Ceuta is seen as the gate way to Africa. The Africans see it as a holding area, for those caught trying to cross the Straits of Gibraltar hoping for a better life.The ferry crossing from Algeciras to Ceuta is a swift one (Euroferrys), similar to the crossing to Tangier. The high speed catamaran service delivers you to the port in 35 minutes. A short walk later, we checked in at the Tryp Ceuta hotel near the centre. The attractions are few and far between. Even the Parador hotel is a prefabricated concrete monster. We strolled the town, port and historic city walls which were the most attractive thing we found, with a deep sea moat, built to defend the town from invaders.
Unfortunately, as it was very much out of season, we could not even find a restaurant and ate at the hotel. The food was good and despite the apparently run down area, it was still an interesting place, especially as it snowed while we were walking the town. It was possibly the most remarkable thing about the trip. I would return in the summer but only for a day trip. It did not justify an over-night stop.
ITALY - Pisa & Florence
21/09/06
Our first trip to main-land Italy, we had picked up some cheap Ryanair flights from Bournemouth to Pisa. Our three star hotel had been over-booked and we were upgraded to a four star one, nearer to the leaning tower. What we were not to know until we checked in, was that our room had a terrace big enough to park half a dozen cars on and offered views on three sides, including the leaning tower an cathedral, but also the mountains (the photo was taken from the terrace). With a very late landing, having shared a min-bus taxi to our hotel, there was nothing for it but to hit the sack, after a few beers of course.
22/09/06
The day would be dedicated to the many sights of Pisa, the most famous of course being the leaning tower. Less appreciated though is the adjacent Duomo (cathedral) and Baptistery. The leaning tower is of-course the bell tower for the duomo. It was a glorious sunny day to visit the Piazza Dei Miracoli. The baptistery has amazing acoustics. One of the staff members proved the point by singing a few notes. The first note had not finished reverberating around the dome before the last had been sung, making your ears believe you could hear a chord. The masonry was fantastic light coloured stone, unlike northern Europe. The duomo was built from the same stone, next to the baptistery and again, impressed us. We toured the walled garden cemetery, known as the Monumental Church Yard where massive frescoes have been preserved. Our time slot came for the climb to the top of the leaning tower, an experience that will never be forgotten with the very apparent list leaving me with a distinct sense of vertigo. After a refreshing beer at a street cafe, we strolled the rest of the town, along the River Arno, passing the Santa Maria Della Spina, a tiny chapel on the very edge of the river bank. Further refreshments saw us then climbing the red brick built old citadel. This offered unparalleled views of the town including the famous monuments. An evening real Italian pizza finished off the day. A drink in the hotel bar provided the answer as to what to do the next day: Florence, or Firenze as it should be known.
23/09/06
An early check-out and stroll to the rail station to catch a train to Florence, about an hour inland but still on the River Arno. The train service was a bit grubby, but very efficient and excellent value. Well, it would have been had I have got the tickets stamped in the machine on the platform. At least the fine was only 5 euros! At the station, we promptly purchased a guide book so we would know what were looking at. The short stroll to the town centre brings you to a duomo, baptistery and tower at least as impressive as Pisa, if not mo.bmp)
re so. We strolled the town while we waited for the opening times to arrive. The squares contain magnificent sculptures, particularly in front of Palazzo del Bargello with the copy of the statue of David. The Ponte Vecchio bridge dating from 1345, spans the Arno and is lined with very shops, mostly crafting and selling gold jewellery. Back at the Piazza San Giovani, we visited the duome before choosing to climb the loggia tower instead of the dome (photo taken from near the top). The baptistery was most notable for the ornate ceiling, in contrast to the plain stone of Pisa. We could not wait for the queue to see the real Statue of David so walked the market and side streets before having to catch the train to the airport. This trip opened our eyes to the usefulness and value of trains outside of the UK!
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re so. We strolled the town while we waited for the opening times to arrive. The squares contain magnificent sculptures, particularly in front of Palazzo del Bargello with the copy of the statue of David. The Ponte Vecchio bridge dating from 1345, spans the Arno and is lined with very shops, mostly crafting and selling gold jewellery. Back at the Piazza San Giovani, we visited the duome before choosing to climb the loggia tower instead of the dome (photo taken from near the top). The baptistery was most notable for the ornate ceiling, in contrast to the plain stone of Pisa. We could not wait for the queue to see the real Statue of David so walked the market and side streets before having to catch the train to the airport. This trip opened our eyes to the usefulness and value of trains outside of the UK!BELGIUM - Brussels, Brugge, Ghent & Oostende
28/02/06
With a cheap Norfolk Line ferry crossing from Dover to Dunkirk, we were to make the most of a two night trip to Belgium, where we would soak up the atmosphere and Belgian beer. It was an early start so we had time to stop at Hazebrouck, to visit a first world war cemetery to find a relative's grave. After visiting a couple, we were still not sure whether we had found the right one. We would be visiting Brussels first and then work our way back to the ferry. We were expecting Brussels to be disappointing (not really sure why either), but turned out to be a fantastic old town centre, with an excellent town square, the Grote Markt surrounded by the ancient guild houses of the tradesmen and the town hall. The cobbled square was a marvelous view as we relaxed in a cafe to one side and watched it snow. We strolled the outer area, visiting the Mannekin-Pis and chocolate shops for gifts. The Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudule and the Royal Galleries of St Hubert (an early in-door shopping centre) completed the day.
01/03/06
Awaking to find the roads covered in snow was an unexpected surprise - we had not thought it would settle. Fortunately, the car was in an under ground car park so within no time, we were on the motorway to Ghent. We were only to visit this old town for a few hours, so had a walking tour of the centre, visiting Sint Baafskathedraal, the Belfort, stadhuis and St Niklaaskerk, which are contained within the central area. St Baafs contains an amazingly detailed altarpiece, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb dating from the 15th century. After lunch in a canalside bar, we rejoined the motorway to reach Brugge.
Having checked in at Brugge, we strolled the half mile or so into the cobbled town centre, the Markt and climbed the Belfort - bell tower for panoramic views of the city. With many beers stops to sample the broad array of dark, light and wheat beers, we strolled the canals, the Burg and the Church of Our Lady which is host to Michaelangelo's Madonna and Child, a sculpture dating from 1505. The evening meal also introduced us to kriek and cherry beers...
02/03/06
After a comfortable night, we were to revisit the Burg and see the Stadhuis museum and buildings, home to the astonishing Charles V fire surround, an ornate wood carving dating from the 16th century. A boat tour of the canals followed before being forced to depart.
With time to spare prior to the ferry departure, we stopped for an evening meal and stroll at Oostende, which has it's own impressive cathedral and harbour. After the obligatory supermarket stop to load up with beer and wine, the ferry was late and we did not get home until very late.
IRELAND - Dublin & the effects of Guiness
20/12/05
Flying from Southampton is just great - 10 minutes from home to the airport. Shame the air fares had grown so much of late. Cheap tickets with Flybe to Dublin were just the dose to beat pre-christmas boredom. Our hotel, the Westin, at £250 per night was courtesy of EasyHotels (see Sardinia 2005 for that story). The short bus trip from the airport in to the city centre dropped us near to our hotel and allowed a baggage drop off. We had already purchased two Dublin Passes for two days and a one day City Tour bus card each. These cards are a must for hassle free, no queueing travel with commentary on the bus.
We had planned a packed day of sight-seeing to justify the purchase of these cards so immediately got stuck in. The Guiness Storehouse was must - at the top is a Guiness bar with 360 degree panaroma with a complimentary pint of the black stuff. Next, we visited the Old Jameson Distillery museum and adjacent chimney tower with a glass lift to the top for views of Dublin. We also squeezed in the Christchurch Cathedral and a combined walking / bus tour of the town, crossing the River Liffey a couple of times. The evening was spent on Temple Bar, which was truly the most relaxed street in the world. Every bar was packed with friendly people, traditional Irish music and we enjoyed a great meal in one the reastaurants. This was one of those nights that should not have ended.
21/12/05
Another packed day which included a guided tour of Dublin Castle with hundreds of years of history including the remains of an ancient viking fort and the state apartments, the City Museum, Grafton Street shopping centre and St Stephen's Green park. By the afternoon, we started walking northwards, up O'Connell Street where the very impressive Spire monument scrapes the sky. After a few guiness stops, we were forced to catch a bus back to the airport for the flight home.
The overwhelming and lasting impression of Dublin was that it is very grey town but with the most colourful atmosphere. It is on our short list of places that we must return to.
MOROCCO - Tangier
26/04/04
Our first intrepid bit of travel (at least it seemed that way).
As part of a longer stay in southern Spain, we took the plunge to cross the Straits of Gibraltar from Tarifa to Tangier with FRS ferries. At £ 50 each or thereabouts, a 2 day trip could be had, including return ferry, hotel and three meals with a guided tour of Tangier.
The ferry crossing was very quick and as part of group of about dozen tourists were entered Tangier, only to have to board the ferry again, as our passports had not been stamped (only our ferry tickets). The tour guide was a local, who spoke five languages with good humour. A mini-bus tour followed with the obligatory camel photo stop. We disembarked into the kasbah to see what we had really come for; a maze of tiny streets and white washed buildings. You could not even get a moped down most of them. The few shops that were there literally had standing room only for the owner - customers stayed out on the street. Fish were being sold from the floor, laid out on newspaper and plastic. we were shown the mandatory snake charmer and then lunch in a small restaurant - a simple meal followed by strong sweet mint tea. After, the hard sell began. A visit to a carpet 'museum' although interesting, was 30 minutes of desperately hard sell. An American gave up just to get the sales man off his back. This little shop could export across the Atlantic and accepted all major credit cards! Next followed a spice shop, which was very interesting a less hard sell. We bought some saffron at very reasonable price (compared to the UK). After an afternoon drink stop, the other excursionists all boarded the ferry to return to Spain. we were the only ones staying.... We were shown to our hotel which was in the down-town area and actually very good. The food was quite simple but very nice.
27/04/04
The following morning, we took a stroll around the down-town area looking at the shops. It was amazing to see people selling individual cigarettes. We were soon jostled into a gift shop, but this suited us as we need a few gifts to take home. With two toy camels, an attractive blue and gold ash tray and a knocked-down price camel hair blanket, we were quite pleased.
Our guide collected us at lunch time and we were whisked back to the ferry port in the smallest Fiat you can imagine. All of the town taxis are painted an unlikely shade of turquoise. Back on the boat, we were glad to have done something different and had acquired a taste for unusual destinations.
HERM - Channel Islands
29/08/06
Travelling with Condor Ferries from Weymouth to Guernsey / Jersey makes a great day trip. We had risen early to make the most of the day light hours and had charged down to Weymouth with the bicycles on the carrier, bound for a lap of Guernsey. When we arrived, I discovered that my front tyre had melted all over the rim and was totally deflated, cracked, burnt and useless. It had touched the exhaust more than once by the look of it...
Not to be defeated, the cycles were loaded in to the car with the back seat dropped forward and we boarded the ferry as foot passengers. The new plan was to visit Herm via St Peterport, the main town of Guernsey.
On our arrival, we had time to kill so strolled into St Peterport to find a cafe. An hour later, we boarded the Herm Travel Trident. Only 20 minutes later, we were stepping ashore. Herm is a tiny island paradise, measuring only half a mile wide by a mile and a half long. We followed the beautiful coast path around the island, anticlockwise. The western end of the island is steep rocky cliffs, changing to wide sandy beaches as we walked east. We admired pleasure boats anchored in Belvoir Bay, where we sat and drank probably the most expensive glass of Coke ever. On the far eastern tip, we watched a kestrel soaring at close range before sitting on the rocks to eat our lunch. After, we climbed the highest point on the island (not very) Le Grand Monceau. Finishing the loop, we were back in the tiny hamlet where the few permanent residents live. Atop the hill, we peered around the tiny St Tugual's Chapel, before stopping in the island's hotel for a beer or two.
We left the island, certain that we would return. It truly was gorgeous. We ate in St Peterport before catching the fast-cat back to Weymouth. A great day out after the morning's disaster.
THE NETHERLANDS - Gouda & Delft
07/11/06
Taking advantage of the annual P&O ferry discounted trips, we drove to Hull and caught the night ferry across to Rotterdam. The usual bar entertainment and cabin saw us across the North Sea without seeing it.
08/11/06
Waking as we came into port, after coffee and breakfast in the cabin, we disembarked for a long day ashore calling at Gouda and Delft. Two minutes later, I realised that I had left the camera in the cabin...
Gouda, home of famous yellow waxed cheese is like most if not all Dutch towns, full of canals. A walk around reveals it is a compact town, with an impressive cathedral Sint Janskerk with masses of stained glass. The Stadhuis (town hall) has a clock work carillon that every 30 minutes has a puppet show of Earl Floris V granting the town charter. Nearby, at the end of the central market square, is the old cheese weigh-house. The adjacent cheese shop stocked gouda of different ages and sizes.
Delft, a 30 minute drive away was our lunch stop at the Waag (old weigh house). We then clambered up the Nieuwe Kerk (new church) bell tower for fabulous views of the town. A walkabout revealed more canals and the older church with it's leaning bell tower. Delft is famous for it's blue pottery and the historic market square is surrounded by shops selling it. All tat!
A very pleasant day though. Return to Rotterdam for the ferry back to Hull.
09/11/06
Back in Hull, just the drive home to endure...
Taking advantage of the annual P&O ferry discounted trips, we drove to Hull and caught the night ferry across to Rotterdam. The usual bar entertainment and cabin saw us across the North Sea without seeing it.
08/11/06
Waking as we came into port, after coffee and breakfast in the cabin, we disembarked for a long day ashore calling at Gouda and Delft. Two minutes later, I realised that I had left the camera in the cabin...
Gouda, home of famous yellow waxed cheese is like most if not all Dutch towns, full of canals. A walk around reveals it is a compact town, with an impressive cathedral Sint Janskerk with masses of stained glass. The Stadhuis (town hall) has a clock work carillon that every 30 minutes has a puppet show of Earl Floris V granting the town charter. Nearby, at the end of the central market square, is the old cheese weigh-house. The adjacent cheese shop stocked gouda of different ages and sizes.
Delft, a 30 minute drive away was our lunch stop at the Waag (old weigh house). We then clambered up the Nieuwe Kerk (new church) bell tower for fabulous views of the town. A walkabout revealed more canals and the older church with it's leaning bell tower. Delft is famous for it's blue pottery and the historic market square is surrounded by shops selling it. All tat!
A very pleasant day though. Return to Rotterdam for the ferry back to Hull.
09/11/06
Back in Hull, just the drive home to endure...
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