Category: Holidays (Page 7 of 10)

Queen Anne 29.8.24

30 August 2024 / admin

Queen Anne Staircase

As breakfast serving time feels early, especially given the lost hour, we have ordered room service with an omelette and accompaniments which gets the day off to a very solid start. Nicely delivered and a little touch of luxury. We have a decent size couch for two, a rotating single chair and a very solid table. Outside on the balcony are two comfortable loungers and another smaller table.

Various sounds and noises disrupted sleep last night, in particular when I think the engines were working harder than they do throughout most of the cruise – I suspect we were given a specific period to traverse the narrowest section of the English Channel between Dover and Calais. Otherwise given the sailing times on this holiday we are progressing at fairly low speeds. Google reports that the distance is 221 nautical miles (254 land miles). Given that the outward sailing is around 20 hours in elapsed time we are doing little more than 10 knots – Queen Anne is capable of just over 20 knots which is slower than either MS Queen Elizabeth or MS Queen Victoria as a top speed.

Queen Anne Deck 11

Jackie wants to play bingo this morning which is in the Golden Lion, which is forward on deck 2. Once she is there I take myself up to the Terrace on Deck 11 to do some listening and some reading. There is some low level music playing on the Terrace but it is not too intrusive as I am using earphones. Given that the weather is looking good we decide, after taking a light bite in the Carinthia lounge – just to maximise our sampling of all outlets, to return to the Terrace. Notable aspect of our light bite was that the yolk of the egg was still slightly frozen! Although regrettably the sun disappears behind clouds whilst we proceed along many miles of industrial docklands as we head towards Rotterdam.

Eventually we reach our berth which is very conveniently located in the centre of the city, immediately adjacent to the Erasmus Bridge. We are adjacent to a terminal building and can see coaches parked alongside for those going on trips this afternoon. We are taking it easy and I manage to get a booking for the Bright Lights Society which is a second entertainment venue on board. This seems to have limited capacity and books up rapidly but I can get into the earlier session tomorrow evening – although I think I bag the last availability.

We dine in the Queens Grill tonight and then head to the Royal Court Theatre for a stage version of Noel Coward’s Brief Encounter. This stage version was devised by Emma Rice in 2007 and adds some additional detail around the lives of the supporting class plus an express train headed by U class 1638 which is based on the Bluebell so I assume the other trains projected at various points are also from filming at the Bluebell – all very clever. Although filmed in Carnforth station the setting is supposed to be somewhere in Southern England in the early thirties. The locomotive is currently stored awaiting a full overhaul – which will be expensive as it will need boiler and firebox repairs and new tyres.

Queen Anne 28.8.24

29 August 2024 / admin

Queen Anne Southampton

Embarcation for our cruise is Southampton ocean terminal and whilst we are half an hour early many others are well in front of us. We join short queue but soon a man is taking notes and then photos of the car, key handed over and we walk across to drop our main cases and head into the Ocean Terminal.

Check in is busy and passport dates are closely checked but we remain well within validity at the moment. They decide to retake our security photos with glasses on but the longest delay is the check at the ship, although I cause a delay as my watch has tripped the security gate as I forgot to take it off.

We are asked to also visit our muster station and have our passes scanned as a double check that we are on board and also know the location of our muster station. As the muster station is on stairway C, at the aft so having walked back we get scanned. Next we want the Queen’s Grill where we will be eating our meals so we take the lift up to level 10 which is the location of the Grill restaurants. Only to find that there is no entry from this direction – it is closed off – so we have to go down a floor, through the buffet restaurant (re-imagined as an “Artisans’ Foodhall”) to the mid-ships lift.

We head up in the lift to the Grill restaurants which will open at 1300 and after a drink we are positioned at a table behind a pillar and close to a serving station so the good lady wife is not at all happy and asks if we can be relocated, we shall see.

Lunch devoured we find our suite on deck seven which is towards the aft of the ship. Jackie’s case arrives and she unpacks and mine then appears quite a bit later. As ever I suspect we have both over packed.

Queen Anne remains stationary and we head up to deck 11 and the Grills terrace where we can sit in the sun for an hour or so, although it is cloudier than early and even spits with rain at one point.

Showing that the ship is new it is announced that the usual emergency sirens will be heard and we have to go to our muster station. Given our earlier visit this is a surprise! However shortly before the alarms are sounded the instruction to visit the muster station is counter-manded; obviously scripts are not up to date!

Queen Anne

Warning sirens sounded we commence sailing and head steadily down Southampton Water past Fawley and Netley and then we start heading eastwards towards the English Channel, turning as we get close to the Isle of Wight following the marker buoys.

Arriving back at the Grill restaurant for our dinner it is pleasing to hear that an alternative table has been found from which we can view the passing landscape on the port side, Gosport, Portsmouth, Spitbank Fort, distant Wittering and Pagham are all out there somewhere.

We each have excellent steaks for dinner.

Post dinner we visit the theatre but are not greatly taken by the entertainer so slip out and return to our suite for a drink and bed. We lose an hour tonight as we move to Rotterdam time ahead of our arrival there tomorrow afternoon.

Sleep is a little disturbed, hot, then cold, then hot again, odd noises and some strange notions. First night is often short of sleep.

Welshpool and Llanfair 29.6.24

30 June 2024 / admin

ZB.2 ‘Zillertal’ footplate

Following another excellent breakfast it is time to start our homeward journey. Having found the right way out of the hotel by decent roads yesterday I follow the same route today and then we head towards Llanfair Caerinion which is the base of the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway.

My last visit here was in 1978 with Geoff – and whilst parts of the railway have improved the gentle rolling scenery remains unchanged. Indeed the biggest improvements are at Welshpool where there is now a proper station building and facilities and an exhibition building which we do not have time to visit.

The staff are all very friendly and despite threatening rain we manage to stay dry. I was kindly invited onto the footplate of ZB.2 ‘Zillertal’ which is our locomotive today – by someone who was probably not born when I last visited. The highlight of the trip is the climb out of Welshpool on the return as the loco has to work hard ascending Golfa Bank. Traffic all appears end to end today – brief pauses at some of the intermediate stations do not seem to have any traffic.

ZB.2 ‘Zillertal’

Our onward journey is to Ettington Park near Stratford upon Avon which we have visited before. Aspects of the bar and drinks service are a little disappointing but the surroundings are very nice. On the way the M6 signs are being poorly managed causing delays and inconsistencies – I also get flashed but no penalty notice ever turned up.

Finally on the Sunday we head onwards to home.

Llangollen Railway & Meanderings 28.6.24

29 June 2024 / admin

Hellfire Pass

Jackie decides not to move far today and I set off first to drive around Lake Vyrnwy which takes 35 or 40 minutes. My next task is to find the way out without using that narrow little road we used on the inward journey and I find that the signposted route consists of fairly normal roads. Ignore the satnav folks!

My plans for today had originally been quite extensive – but given recent driving I know that the AA times simply are not possible and so visiting both the Talyllyn and Llangollen railways was going to be an almost impossible ask as the traffic simply does not travel fast enough (well to ensure I managed both trains and not wanting too long a day).

My first target is the Bwlch-y-Groes pass, also known as the Hellfire Pass with the uphill section from the south having historic uses as a test climb for new Austin cars before WWII. I find the route and I am pleased that I can see to near the summit and there is nothing coming the other way so I am able to reach the top without any problems.

The descent towards Bala is less spectacular – but had the drawbacks of numerous (well 5) vehicles coming the other way. For 4 of these I am the one to have to find space to pull over – the first being most threatening – a tractor with mowers mounted being wider than normal – but I actually find a pull off and can watch it advancing up the hillside and can stay well off the road until it has passed.

Regrettably the Bala Lake Railway is not operating today and so cannot be visited on this tour and must await a future visit.

When we visited the Llangollen Railway 10 years ago they told us they were on the brink of opening the line into Corwen but were then terminating at Carrog. So today I drive to Carrog to park and then do the journey over the now opened line into Corwen – where I eventually buy a ticket before returning. Buying a simple ticket is so difficult – nothing as simple as an Edmondson card ticket these days – I understand the till and computer records – but there was a queue and I missed the loco running around whilst waiting to be served. Annoying.

Carrog – 47+5

In common with other railways these days off peak services are noted as diesel hauled so I am somewhat surprised to find a long train hauled by a class 47 – I was expecting a small multiple unit. However the loadings seem to justify the length of train and the loco duly runs around the coaches to return me to Carrog and everyone else to Llangollen I assume.

I return by a slightly more direct route to Lake Vyrnwy – although not quite the route I had planned as I miss a turning at one point, but return much earlier than if I had tried my somewhat more complex outing today.

Vale of Rheidol 27.6.24

28 June 2024 / admin

No 7 VoR

We travel further down the coast this morning, again with the top down, to Aberystwyth and the terminus of the Vale of Rheidol railway. This has been transformed in recent years. Since my last visit (undocumented) a couple of years ago they have opened a museum which I wander around. There is a mixed collection of locomotives and other stock – at the time of my visit it includes the Dukedog from the Bluebell, a WHR Garratt plus other locos – but it is an interesting collection and well housed.

The floor is notable as it is made of small wooden blocks which are removable and it means that tracks can be laid to take rails which can then be any gauge allowing a huge and varied range of exhibits over the years – in a light and spacious environment. Externally there is a small segment from London Bridge which was moved here for preservation when the station was rebuilt. It is all a long way from the BR owned line I first visited in 1976.

Whilst the first part of the line remains unexciting further up the closed in nature was eased many years ago by some tree clearance and there are still some great views plus the hard work of the locomotive as it ascends the gradients and tight curves is very obvious as we wind up to Devil’s Bridge. Less has changed here – although far more exists than in 1976 – but then it is not long since my last visit.

On the return trip we have a discussion with other passengers who are relatively local residents as far as we can gather.

Our onward journey is to Lake Vyrnwy in mid-Wales and is uneventful until the sat nav decides to make use of a very narrow road with grass growing in the centre of the single track with not much in the way of passing places. We emerge to quite a major road and the hotel tells us that all the satnavs follow that route – whilst the road signs take a far better route as I will discover tomorrow.

Lake Vyrnwy

The hotel at Lake Vyrnwy has a high location overlooking the lake – which is in fact a reservoir – and faces west with the sun setting over the hills on the far side of the lake as we eat dinner. The main drawback is that it feels like a huge hike from our room to the reception and the dining room but even so I like it. It is very quiet and even though the hotel is busy the dining all seems to run smoothly.

Iceland – Day 4

11 March 2024 / admin

Eyjafjallajokull volcano

Sunday 10.3.24

An optional tour today to the south of the island to see some different sights, there is a quite a bit of time on the coach as the distances are significant and although the roads are not busy nor are they motorways. We head off in a similar direction to yesterday initially but turning off and taking a different route through the mountains to see some different scenery. We eventually descend to closer to sea level and then more or less run along the coast in a south-easterly direction.

Our first sightseeing stop is at the foot of Eyjafjallajökull which, when it erupted in 2010 led to the suppression of flights in much of Europe due to the high ash content being considered potentially capable of shutting down jet engines. The current eruptions have far lower ash content so they have not impacted on flights.

The volcano is covered by an ice cap and without a decent zoom lens the photos are all very long distance.

We move onto the black sandy beach at Reynisfjara where we are warned that the wind is particularly strong. It is also apparently famous from a Justin Bieber (who he?) video from 2015 which was shot here and which merely adds to the visiting tourist numbers. However Westlife, The Saturdays and Take That also filmed here as indeed has Bjork – which is perhaps less surprising! The wind is particularly strong and whilst I do not feel the need for a partner others do and I wonder if it is a less windy day than some as I do not feel that I will be blown away – but it might easily be that others have. We are close to the Hálsanefshellir Cave at the eastern end of the beach.

We stop at a shopping centre at Vik which is I believe the southernmost settlement of Iceland. Like all of the locations outside the capital it is quite small. This provides an opportunity for some lunch. There is another small black beach here as well – but the winds mean that we do not really get that far.

Our return journey is via the Skógafoss waterfall – which is one of the main tourist attractions as there is a large parking space. It is still a bit of a hike to the waterfall and a viewing point – I certainly rack up quite a few steps today as I make it there and back (I am pleased to say).

Seljalandsfoss waterfall

We also stop at Seljalandsfoss – another waterfall – which in summer I believe it is possible to walk around behind the falls – but this is not possible today as it is considered too wet and therefore unsafe. There are several falls here but I only go to the nearest one.

Then it is a direct run back to the capital and as is often the case a bit of a snooze on the journey – it makes the time pass more rapidly!

Tenerife 20.12.22 – 3.1.23

5 January 2023 / admin

Tui Blue Los Gigantes 22.12.22

The sole intention of this trip is not to be at home at Christmas so we headed out to Tenerife to Los Gigantes in the north west corner of the island. Being here means we can rest in the warm and avoid most of the television.

The hotel is now part of Tui Blue. It was the first hotel in the area and when it opened there were no roads – so all of the early visitors were brought in by boat once they had flown to the island. It is a lot easier these days and a taxi brings us into the place fairly rapidly. It is some years since our last visit to Tenerife and passing the areas we have previously visited it is notable how much more construction there has been. As an example when we stayed at the Costa Adeje Palace the road past it reached a roundabout going nowhere – now it is a major through road.

After taking a few photos of the surroundings area on a walk out of the hotel both of us are unwell during the holiday. We do make one trip out which takes us to see parts of Tenerife we have not previously visited.

Banana Plantation 28.12.22

So one of the stops is at a banana plantation and I can confirm that freshly picked bananas are excellent.

We visit the original capital which is attractive and the proceed around the top of the island which we have not previously visited. The residents inform us that they will be glad when the new motorway opens and given some of the twists and turns we encounter I am not at all surprised.

Tenerife bends

I actually liked being here most of the time. Summoning a doctor was not welcome – but given that at home it would have been A&E as it would not have been possible to get a doctor come to the hotel. issue a prescription and for treatment to have commenced within three hours struck me as an excellent advertisement for the health service in the island.

Entertainment in the hotel was a little repetitive – covering Motown most evenings – however most evenings we joined it at least for a while and it was all a lot warmer than it would have been at home.

Cotswolds 1-3 November 2020

5 November 2020 / admin

Broadway Tower 2.11.20

2020 will be remembered as the year of covid – and we are once again lucky. With some freedoms currently in place we have been able to book a couple of nights at a hotel which has long been on my wish list to visit – The Lords of the Manor in Upper Slaughter. The hotel is one of the bastions of the Country House Hotel movement – with a reputation that was strong in the last century and whilst it might not currently meet the highest heights in those terms it remains a beautiful place to visit.

Bourton on the Water Model Village 2.11.20

Obviously we have the disbenefit of short days and that simply means we can spend more time in the comfort of the hotel. We only have one complete day and we drive over to Bourton-on-the-Water as it is probably half a century since I visited the model village and it is a pleasant way to spend some time wandering around looking at the detail – which includes a model of the model village which also includes a model of the model village.

The other local attraction is Broadway Tower which is open. However visiting numbers are limited and we are asked to wait outside – which would be well and good if it was not a very cold wind blowing. Jackie returns to the car whilst I do go around the Tower.

There are two dining rooms at the hotel – the Dining Room and the Atrium so we use the opportunity to dine in each of them once. Both excellent and our only concern is an individual coughing throughout the evening in the Atrium. But if covid germs were disseminated none reached us and laid us low.

Cumbria 1.10.20

2 October 2020 / admin

Red squirrel 1.10.20

Today is our final day in the Lake District before we return home. So some final experiences. There are some further passes to traverse. Heading via Keswick we then head south past Derwent Water and then over the Honister Pass – negotiating which is made interesting when we encounter a bus service coming from the other direction.

Our road then skirts Buttermere and Crummock Water. After another couple of miles we make a sharp turn to the right taking the B5292 which passes through Whinlatter Forest and the Whinlatter Pass.

It is a devious route to find our luncheon dining spot – the Cottage in the Wood. A well known fact is that whilst the foreign grey squirrels, introduced in 1876 from North America, have largely ousted the native red squirrel in most of the country one of the outposts where the red retain control is the Lake District. Until today, as far as I was concerned, this was unproven.

Squirrel in box 1.10.20

The management of the Cottage in the Wood have taken steps to encourage the local squirrels to entertain diners and there are a number continuously scampering around outside the restaurant and we have an excellent view of events through the window.

Peacock 1.10.20

On return to our lodge some of the local wildlife is wandering around between the lodges and whilst the peacock did not give a demonstration of plumage it remains colourful.

Come 2 October it was time to drive home – the usual progress along the M6 and the M40 to get ourselves home. Something like 300 miles and rather more than 5 hours whichever route we take.

Cumbria 30.9.20

1 October 2020 / admin

The holiday plan for this day indicated that we were going to travel on Lake Windermere and then on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway. However I have absolutely no photographs of the day at all (and have double checked). After looking carefully I have reached the conclusion that as we had been busy all week we actually stayed in the Lodge during the day only going out in the evening.

In the evening we visited the Lake Road Kitchen which is another excellent restaurant. The only drawback is the relatively long drive back to our lodge at Calthwaite – it is about an hour and marks a slight drawback to this week.