Travels with my Wife – Holidays and Other Excursions

Lyon 9.5.26

10 May 2026 / admin / 0 Comments

Lyon Funicular F2 9-5-26

A return to more mundane territory today, indeed a slightly bigger drop than we had wished in some respects. Our first target today was to visit the two funiculars which I suspect I traversed on my previous visit to Lyon in 1982 but my memory of that is dimmed by time. Both funiculars commence at Vieux Lyon Cathedrale Saint Jean Metro station in the old town. We take the F2 line first which goes up to St Just with an intermediate stop for the Roman ruins. It is very warm in Lyon today so we do not feel like walking around Roman ruins and return to the starting point.

Lyon Funicular F1 9-5-26

There are significant queues for the second funicular – it all seems busier than I had anticipated. At the top of this funicular is the Cathedral named in the metro stop from which our journey commenced.

Cathedral St Jean 7-5-26

This photograph shows the Cathedral from the river level when we were walking around earlier in the week as none of the photographs taken up there actually demonstrated the full majesty of the building – it looks far more impressive from a distance as it is an elevated position over the city.

Lyon City 9-5-26

However from the elevated position the city can can be seen with the Saone river in the foreground and a little further back is the Rhone.

We had planned to walk down through the adjacent gardens but the route appears closed. We are walking as our destination is allegedly 5 minutes – although as it is steep and indirect it is a lot further before we reach La Table de la Villa Florentine which has recently re-opened following extensive refurbishment. However despite a Michelin recommendation our view was that it was slightly disappointing and unlike yesterday not really value for money.

In the evening we get to eat some of that cheese we bought and drink some more wine.

We travelled home on 10 May 2026. No fuss over getting through passport control (we go out on an early tram just in case there is a disaster) and as it is there we have a Burger King in the airport. Once back it is then pod to the car park and home with very little to report.

Lyon 8.5.26

9 May 2026 / admin / 0 Comments

Paul Bocuse 8-5-26

Today was the intended highlight of the trip. Paul Bocuse was one of the leading chefs of nouvelle cuisine and as a result of his name and fame Lyon has become renowned as the food centre of France. His long career is covered in the linked article and I do not intend to repeat it.

The restaurant is L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges and whilst it might have lost one of the three Michelin stars it once held it remains a place of legend and our high hopes for an excellent meal were delivered in full.

The menu required two photographs:

Menu 1 Bocuse 8-5-26

Menu 2 Bocuse 8-5-26

The highlight is the chicken served in a pig’s bladder and this is impressive and a very tender piece of chicken.

Chicken in Pig’s Bladder Bocuse 8-5-26

All absolutely stunning and it was a superb meal and the waiting staff are also incredible. A lovely place and we could understand (and overhear) comments from other tables about return visit.

Jackie had arranged taxis both ways so it was an easy journey in both directions which meant that even though I could see trains through the window it is definitely the way to come and go.

I should also note that being food related ALL of the photographs in this post were taken by Jackie Whitbread and she retains copyright in all of them and any requests for use should be made to her.

In summary all excellent and it was indeed the highlight of the trip. If only it were a little closer!

Lyon 7.5.26

8 May 2026 / admin / 0 Comments

Alien Lyon 7-5-26

Today we have an outline and it all just about works out. Metro to the main tourist information office where we book a river tour for this afternoon and then meander over into the old town to see the main part of the flat part adjacent to the river to find the Museum of Cinema and Miniatures. This is in the middle of the old town and is a fascinating collection.

The Alien moves in a threatening way with threatening noise leading Jackie to leave that particular room rapidly!

Gremlin Lyon 7-5-26

There are a wide range of models used in various ways, given my addiction to transport this model of a subway train caught my eye.

Subway model Lyon 7-5-26

Four floors and I would have thought something for everyone including Batman in various guises and a Hoverboard with much else. A goodly hour or so wandering around the exhibits.

Lunch is a pizza in the old town and we then wander back across the river to catch our boat for the afternoon trip along the river.

River View 1 Lyon 7-5-26

Our journey is along the river Saone which meets the Rhone (hence the name of the tram from the airport) a little downstream. We initially head upstream past the old town on our left with old warehouses now converted to housing on the river front. At Pont Koenig we swing round and start the journey downstream.

L’Homme de la Roche Lyon 7-5-26

Given its size and no doubt cost the absolute history of the statue appears to be shrouded in mystery with several explanations existing, the most likely being that it celebrated a hermit who lived in the cave where the statue now resides.

Our trip extends along the Saone to its confluence with the Rhone with the space between the two rivers having been extensively redeveloped in the recent past with a collection of buildings of modern designs.

Euronews HQ Lyon 7-5-26

There is also a bright orange building and also a modern conference centre.

Pont Kitchener-Marchand Lyon 7-5-26

On our return we pass under Pont Kitchener-Marchand which is a modern bridge but the original was named after Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener and Jean-Baptiste Marchand who together were responsible for peaceful settlement of the Fashoda crisis. The bridge is adorned with the pictured metal sculptures depicting the spirits or allegories of the Rhône and Saône rivers.

We wend our way to a shop to obtain some local cheeses to eat later on the holiday as we are having a heavier meal tomorrow (the hotel wine was also consumed) by a different metro route as Lyon is well served by a variety of public transport.

Dinner this evening is at an excellent restaurant Table et Partage which is within walking distance of the hotel and the quality here was superb. Strongly recommended.

A much better day today.

Lyon 6.5.26

7 May 2026 / admin / 0 Comments

Empty l;ocker space 6-5-26

Having spent a fortune on her Amex card we became entitled to a companion voucher on BA and whilst they have made these less attractive and usable over the years they do enable an almost free flight to European destinations so when it arrived last year we determined that we would visit Lyon. Hotel booked, Restaurants booked and hopefully a few pleasant days would ensue, which looked even better when a previously unavailable dining location re-opened bookings to co-incide with our time in the City. All good news.

Off to Heathrow and as usual into a pod from the pod parking to the terminal. Convenient even if a little expensive and of course our second trip using this route in a short time.

We have both packed with two cabin bags – Jackie with her new cabin bag as acquired in Den Haag and me with a black case I had for short trips at work. We also have a second bag all in accordance with BA guidance. At the gate we are minding our own business when a BA employee asks to see our boarding passes and then tells us that our bags are going in the hold. He had walked around the waiting passengers and we were the only ones he approached. Apparently the plane was full and the luggage had to go in the hold. When we pointed out that this was not right we were told we would be offloaded and could not fly. There was none of the usual – can you help us please or any politeness – it was his way or the highway. The lack of customer awareness was unbelievable.

So at Lyon I checked the overhead locker – it was completely empty. In other overhead lockers we could see cases with luggage labels indicating they were destined for the hold. Put simply there was no need for it. One bag each would have gone in the overhead and the other one under the seat in front. It was handled so badly that it put us off completely – this is not the BA that once claimed to be the world’s favourite airline.

The next nightmare is border control. They have three open booths (of 6), no-one is managing the queue and it takes two hours, no seats, no water and no-one keen on actually welcoming us to the country. No instructions on how to use the electronic gates or even information on if they could be used (as we registered on the new system entering the Netherlands). When we do reach the border person she and her adjacent colleague are discussing the next night out and Jackie is pretty sure she does not even look at her to compare the photo taken. Absolutely awful.

Rhone Express 6-5-26

The airport is adjacent to the TGV station to which we walk. On the far side of the station is a platform for the “tram” known as the Rhone Express into Lyon which terminates adjacent to the main station and also our hotel as Jackie wanted a short walk from tram stop to the hotel – which is just as well as it actually raining at this point.

Now I can offer some advice. Nothing wrong with the hotel. However the area on this side of the station is less than attractive. We wander around some adjacent streets in the hope of a little bar or similar but nothing appeals and at one point there are some less than welcome drunks lying in the street. Not appealing at all. To save going out again we cancel the restaurant booking this evening and decide to eat in the hotel. The wine is good even if the food is slightly lacking.

In summary not a good start to this particular trip.

Netherlands 23.4.26

24 April 2026 / admin / 0 Comments

Pier Scheveningen 23.4.26

There are several visits to make today before we catch a late flight home. At this time of year the seaside can be a very mixed and so it proves when we visit Scheveningen which is the seaside resort adjacent to Den Haag. There is a wind blowing in from the sea and whilst I walk to the end of the pier it is probably not a good day at the seaside, even though it is bright and sunny.

ICJ Den Haag 23.4.26

On our way to the coast we stop briefly outside the above building which is now the International Court of Justice where war criminals have been prosecuted in recent years. These days however the rule of law does not seem to stretch so far. The building is known as the “Peace Palace” and was constructed in the early 20th Century as a home for the Permanent Court of Arbitration and was initially funded by Andrew Carnegie – at a time when wealthy entrepreneurs redirected their wealth for the public good.

Cheeses 23.4.26

Our next visit is to dairy making local cheese. Obviously we are not able to take cheese home but we are advised that they have sold significant quantities to UK travellers and there have been no reported instances of interception on return to the UK. We are not willing to risk it. I suspect some others do. The lady telling us how they make cheese is (or more probably was) an American who married the farm owner. They make quite a few different variations on cheese and tasting samples are consumed.

Zaanse Schans 24.4.26

Our final stopping point is Zaanse Schans, an industrial history museum, which preserves and maintains a number of windmills plus other craft activities along with buildings which have been moved to the museum from other locations in the country. Our first destination is, however, a location to get some lunch as we are travelling back later and will not have much opportunity to eat anything significant.

Not the Windmills of Old Amsterdam 24.4.26

The Zaan district was the oldest industrial area in Western Europe commencing in the 18th Century with around 600 windmills in operation. Trade in the 17th Century which forms the Dutch Golden Age drove the investment and the construction enabling the entrepreneurs to produce ever more products. The invention of the crankshaft converting the horizontal wind pressure into a vertical saw motion enabling more wood to be cut than was possibly manually. This enabled ship building and so led to a significant merchant navy – 26 shipyards turning out over 100 ships a year. This required manpower and that led to growing national and then international trade. They also originated fire contracts and insurance.

Preserved Houses 24.4.26

It is fair to say that we were not looking forward to the return journey. Most of it went well. Of course we ended up at T4 which with the car in pod parking in T5 is less than fun. So it is one train to T2 and then another to T5 and the hike to the pod parking terminal. It goes reasonably well but it does take some time. I do ensure we get the free inter-terminal tickets from the machine which eases the pain slightly, they are allegedly 4 miles apart so I suppose the time is not unreasonable.

Holiday Summary

Just a quick roundup – a busy holiday, beautiful flowers, Den Haag is a lovely city and a chance to see some of the country’s history. A good holiday and a revisit to Den Haag is highly possible.

Netherlands 22.4.26

23 April 2026 / admin / 0 Comments

Noordeinde Palace Den Haag 22.4.26

We stay local today with a guided walk around Den Haag. Close by the hotel is a statue memorial to the late Queen Wilhelmina and to be perfectly honest if I had any hand in commissioning or approving this monstrosity I would feel that I was disrespecting the history of her reign and the individual. Why can we not be nice about Royal family members? I have not included a photograph of the monstrosity, even more amazing it is almost opposite the main royal palace (above) where the King works.

Lange Voorhout Den Haag 22.4.26

Our tour takes us along the above attractive tree lined avenue to the Hotel D’Indes and then along past the Houses of Parliament (currently closed for reconstruction) and into the City Centre itself. Mainly traffic free and yet still busy.

Netherland Parliament Den Haag 22.4.26

At the end of the tour we can enter the Palace Gardens (and indeed others walk around them – I am at the limit of my walking time). Given we can no longer even enter Downing Street in London the contrast is enormous and I feel reflects badly on our country where there are so many restrictions on where we may go.

Anatomical Theatre Den Haag 22.4.26

We pass amongst other places the Anatomical Theatre where for several centuries surgeons learnt about the body with full dissections taking place several times per annum. The building was constructed for the Surgeons Guild to allow knowledge to passed on and for skills to be developed.

Plane Filling II M C Escher Den Haag 22.4.26

Following the end of the tour we retrace our steps to enable Jackie to acquire a new cabin suitcase to enable easy travelling as it has wheels and it less cumbersome than the bag packed for this trip. Once Jackie is back at the hotel and after a break, I emerge again to visit Lange Voorhout Palace which now houses a museum dedicated to Maurits Cornelis Escher, an artist whose mind perhaps worked in a slightly unusual way. Much of his output was dedicated to transformations where birds turn to fish and similar, he is also known for the impossible where a 2D representation of 3 D items enables things to be achieved which are physically impossible. Although from the Netherlands he did spend a long time in Italy.

In the evening we dine at BlueBloods which is a short walk each way and we are able to get a very decent steak.

Netherlands 21.4.26

22 April 2026 / admin

Colours Keukenhof 21.4.26

Another day and an important one – the coach reappears – a good five minutes walk away as it cannot reach the hotel – and we climb aboard for a trip of about an hour to Keukenhof which are gardens laid out to show off the wares of Dutch Bulb growers enabling people to walk amongst a mass of flowers – at their best – for a period of about six weeks – which is the only time the gardens are open.

There are also specialist displays inside some of the buildings but we only tried one of these – with a display of orchids – but at some point in the past we have (for once) been somewhere better – we just cannot remember where!

Flowers galore Keukenhof 21.4.26

We cover much of the site – but to do all of it requires more walking than either of us can manage – a trip we should have done earlier. Pain killers for my pain can sometimes work and sometimes not. It is not clear sometimes why something has worked or why even having taken something the pain appears.

Tulips Keukenhof 21.4.26

Although the site is pretty busy it remains possible to get photographs without too many people in shot – but there are different colours and flowers everywhere, along with statues and other aspects to achieve variety.

Bluebells among the tulips Keukenhof 21.4.26

Equally impressive are the ordinary growing fields we pass on our journeys – both yesterday and today we pass fields of flowers in strips each of a single colour. Some strips have been picked and others are just reaching that point – all amazing bright colours. I have over 70 photographs so those included are just a small extract to indicate the variety which exists.

We dine in the hotel this evening. Not particularly worth recounting according to my memory.

Netherlands 20.4.26

21 April 2026 / admin

Amsterdam 20.4.26

Today was one of those days – with the problems starting on Sunday evening when we discovered messages advising that our KLM flight this morning was not flying. By the time we saw the messages we had also been advised that we would be flying BA a little later than planned. However KLM use T4 and BA uses T5; the parking booking needed changing and we are now heading for pod parking arriving so early inside T5 that security has not yet been unsecured (4:30am for future reference).

BA get us away more or less on time to deliver us into the next hell hole – Amsterdam Schipol. We head towards immigration and after several attempts I manage to register my passport and fingerprints on the new terminals needed to enter Schengen territory. It was so much easier arriving at Hoek of Holland by ferry in 1976. We are then split without any explanation into “Route 1” and “Route 2”. Both routes are placed into holding zones – apparently because one of the two downward escalators is not working so the people flow has to he regulated. After a while the powers that be decided we could not go that way and led across the terminal to another set of stairs which did not really indicate where route 1 or route 2 people should go. Eventually route 1 goes to machines which appear to scan passport (success), take a picture (success) and fingerprints – three attempts and then rejected and put into route 2 in which you get to meet a border guard.

Fill up the queues further along we are advised at high volume. Then all the difficult cases (4) are brought to the officer in the booth for which I am queueing – which for Jackie who managed to get through route 1 means increasing worry as I have disappeared into nothingness. Eventually I reach the officer and I am asked where I am going – well Amsterdam – I am here. I am advised that is not an appropriate answer as I am in transfers and MUST be going somewhere else. Eventually after some explanation that I have been sent this way it is accepted that I can go to Amsterdam! I emerge and find Jackie. However there are only signs for transfers to somewhere else and no indication that there is an exit anywhere. If anyone ever asks – do not fly to Amsterdam.

The tour guide is slowly collecting his flock and one of the last couple through obviously have the same sort of misrouting as I suffered.

Royal Palace Amsterdam 20.4.26

We are then dropped in central Amsterdam and although we have been here before, over 20 years ago I honestly do not recognise it at all. The station looks familiar as we used it a few years ago but the rest is not recognised. We walk a little way to the main square and then find a decent lunch in an adjacent restaurant before returning to the quay and taking a cruise through the canals of Amsterdam – again we have done it before but I do not really remember it. Back to the coach pick up. Only it doesn’t. It is reported that the coach is stuck in a tunnel under the City and cannot move. We sit in a local bar but after two hours I flip out and we decide to catch a train down to The Hague where we have a dinner reservation.

Amsterdam Canal Cruiser 20.4.26

The train takes around 50 minutes – smooth, a number of stops, double decker trains. Not high speed but frequent (every 10 or 15 minutes). Once in The Hague we take a taxi direct to our booked restaurant for an excellent meal before finding our Movenpick hotel – we are now very tired as it has been a very long day.

Service to Den Haag 20.4.26

The rest of the tour party made it to the hotel soon after 7 as the coach had finally been extricated around the time we set off; I just felt that not enough was being done – it seemed that a second coach could not be procured and it was all down to a lack of CCTV in the tunnel – but there are other ways of solving the problem and getting traffic moving.

None of the problems were the fault of Newmarket directly – KLM had a flight cancellation; Schipol clearly cannot cope with the new system, the failure by the local police to keep traffic moving

La Gomera 2.1.26 – 9.1.26

17 January 2026 / admin

Mount Teide Tenerife 9.1.26

Unusually this is a second consecutive foreign holiday (ignoring the short excursions to Cornwall and Brighton) where we intend to do very little. La Gomera is an island situated a little way away from Tenerife and it was visible from Playa San Juan when we stayed there some 20+ years ago. In those days the ferry sailed across from Playa San Juan to the island but these days the ferry link is to and from Los Christianos. We are travelling with Tui and our destination is Hotel Jardin Tecina which is situated above the small town of Playa Santiago on the south coast of the island.

The outward journey requires an early start to Gatwick and the usual wait at the airport. A decent flight down to Tenerife South airport, passing Mount Teide on our way) and then a coach to the Los Christianos port where there is a lack of information. We follow others obtaining tickets from Armas ferry – which is awaiting departure. We hand cases over to white van man and have to hope they will be at the other end. 50 minutes later we are on the island and further guesswork is needed to reach the terminal building where we are re-united with our cases.

Volcán de Teno Ferry 9.1.26

A minibus and trailer are then loaded and a fifty minute run along the mountain tops enables arrival at our destination.

The hotel has a number of restaurants and the second best meal of the week is in La Tasca which has friendly staff and good service.

Hotel Jardin Tecina 10.1.26

Our daytimes – when the weather permits – which is most days I can report were spent on one of the Bali beds adjacent to the pool area outside our room.

Our room is a slight understatement. The ground floor has a bedroom and bathroom and opens onto the beds surrounding the pool area. On the floor above is a lounge area (both are equipped with televisions) where typically we take lunch and a toilet plus a “front” door which opens to the main path at the front. Up another flight of stairs there is a large circular bed – if the Bali beds were being used this might be a nice alternative but we did not use it during our stay.

On the second evening we negotiated our way down the steps, lift and more steps to sea level. If it seemed a long way down it seemed further when going up later! We wander around the town – quiet but we eat as early as we can in Kuffs which was notable for some excellent prawns.

Cave and carrier basket 11.1.26

Come Sunday evening we had the most wonderful experience in The Cave. We are escorted up the steps to a remote (but warm) cave and the waiter takes an order for alcohol as the menu is largely fixed. He then vanishes and to a timetable they have a “zip wire” type cage which brings the food up from the kitchen and into which we load the plates after each course. It is probably the best meal of the week with some superb veal as the main course. Veal simply does not get served enough in the UK but is on just about every menu here. The cave contains a bed – but we are unable to avail ourselves of its comforts as we find we are both in need of the toilets after completing the meal – which requires descent back to the facilities – not by zip wire for us – we have to use the steps.

Bed in a cave 11.1.26

The hotel does not seem exceptionally busy – we have no trouble finding a table outside at breakfast (there are two restaurants serving breakfast – La Gara has a large outside area) so it consumes a few calories walking to and from the buffet areas. In our area the most number of beds occupied was I think 4 and on later days of the holiday we would choose one for sun in the morning and then occupy a different one in the afternoon to maximise the sun available.

Two of the hotel’s restaurants are also down at sea level – Club Laurel which we use on Monday evening and La Trattoria on Wednesday evening. In the latter we are disappointed that the lasagne (an essential Italian dish) was vegetarian only. In both cases it was my perception that the attention to detail and service was lacking.

On the final evening we visited a recommended restaurant in the town, we had visited it on the second evening to secure a booking and it seems to be full every evening. An excellent salad to open but the follow up was not perhaps as good as we had been led to expect – it is probably the best in town but I am not sure it quite deserved the hype we experienced – however it was exceptionally busy.

The timing of the return trip is dependent on the ferries. These leave La Gomera at 7 am (Fred Olsen) and 7:30 am (Armas). We are booked on the latter which determines an 04:40 alarm call. Plus we end up with four meals during the day – a light breakfast at the hotel, a Burger King during our five ~~years~~ hours at the airport awaiting our flight, sandwiches on the flight and then battered sausage and chips once we are home. It is also a long old day.

Brighton 31.12.25 – 3.1.26

4 January 2026 / admin

Brighton Pavilion 1.1.26

This was a short break intended to spend a few days in Brighton to see in the New Year. We stayed in Drakes Hotel which has wonderful views of the seafront and the Pier and some pretty steep stairs to the rooms – given the age of the building there is no lift!

The new year celebrations are in the Grand which is a modest walk down hill on our way there. At 1am it is a far less speedy walk back up the slope (it can hardly be called a hill) to our hotel – but the two flights of stairs nearly do for us when we do get there.

Sleep is broken but we cascade downstairs anticipating a completely different day to the one which happens. Jackie had booked tickets for the Royal Pavilion this morning – but when we get there it is closed and locked up. The tickets are checked and definitely say 1 January. Eventually a disembodied voice tells us that they are closed for the day.

We walk into the Lanes and after a coffee note that Brighton Morris men and women and children are gathering for a display so we get a drink from the adjacent hostelry and await the entertainment – which eventually draws quite a crowd.

Our next destination is the Pier. The much promised waffle outlet is not open but the Palm Court restaurant at the end of the Pier is and serves an excellent portion of whitebait and chips for a very good price. Great value for money with an Irish coffee to warm the insides as well.

In the evening we walk along the front again – this time our destination is “The Salt Room” a well regarded restaurant immediately adjacent to the Grand Hotel and therefore easy to find. We all chose the chicken main course and it was excellent accompanied with some chips and tomato salad. Very pleasant environment and good food so a great evening.

Brighton Pavilion 2.1.26

The following morning we head back to the Pavilion and the management sort things out rapidly refunding our tickets and granting free entry. Whilst the ground floor has not changed since our last visit neither Jackie or I recall being able to go upstairs where some of the restoration story is told. Queen Victoria felt that Brighton was too busy to be a suitable holiday residence for her growing family so largely removed the interior decoration and sold it to the local council (as then constituted) for initially £53000 but when the empty interiors were discovered they sought a refund – which amounted to £3000! Restoration to close to late Georgian decoration took the second half of the twentieth century and I would wager cost much more than £3k. However it is very well done.

Pavilion Music Room 2.1.26

After a bite of lunch we go the theatre for Sunny Afternoon – the Kinks musical where we are reminded of the song writing of Ray Davies. It is some years since we saw the original West End production and it is certainly very effective. A great entertainment.

In the evening we dine at Dilsk – the restaurant in the basement of Drakes Hotel although it is independently operated. Good but not as outstanding as we had hoped – but still pretty good halibut and I liked the opening mushroom custard – but not to everyone’s taste.