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Amalfi Coast 8.9.26

16 September 2026 / admin

BA525

Our transfer to Naples airport takes some time due to the very heavy traffic, probably the worst we have experienced. Check in has not opened so we are in plenty of time. Seating at the gate is very limited and most people are standing for a good half hour. It is a simple walk across the ground to the plane and up the rear steps to board the plane. Boarding is pretty rapid with the luggage taking longer. We push back soon after 1300 with take off about 1320. We make good time and land 14 minutes early.

G-TTNC Naples 8.9.26

As the pilot admitted he was surprised by the number of planes on the ground at Heathrow – it seems that NATS crashed earlier today and no flights are leaving Heathrow, Gatwick and we think we were the last plane to land at Heathrow.

This started three hours of complete uncertainty – and the news systems were not even aware that nothing was flying. After some time the plane is directed to a stand somewhere near T4. This was achieved before we became 3 hours late enabling BA to skip delay payments as we were not 3 hours late. Even though we are at a gate we cannot deplane – there are no steps or buses. Then there are steps but no buses. Then there are no steps or buses. Then about 3.5 hours after landing we have steps and buses and a man who can actually make the steps work. We leave the plane and the bus wends its way to T5 (no tour guide) where we manage to gain entry to the UK. The baggage hall is in complete uproar. All luggage deliveries are suspended and it is clear that our luggage is not coming home with us today.

Filling in the claim form at the limited number of terminals is a nightmare, asking for information which could easily be populated from our boarding records which are also linked to our luggage tags. Absolutely awful. What they do not tell you is that the only way to access the system at a later time is using your surname, so if you mistype it you can not check on progress reclaiming your luggage. How do I know this? The hard way. I do not recommend it.

T5 Pod parking 8.9.26

Jackie’s suitcase returns several days later and the courier has my bag on the same manifest and yet denies he has the bag. Nor is it visible in the van. He seems unable to grasp that if it is on his list he should have it. Unbelievable. Having finally spoken to someone (I think in India) I now have access to the online system which for several days tells me it was going to be delivered some days before. Then magically it says it is on its way, then not, then it is. A week after I arrived home so does my case. Relief that nothing has been lost.

For the record the Newmarket description of the day:
It’s “Arrivederci, Italia”, today, as you transfer to the airport to check in for your flight home at the end of a marvellous holiday to the Bay of Naples.

Amalfi Coast 7.9.26

8 September 2026 / admin

Vesuvius 7.9.26

After breakfast we repeat our trip down to La Marinella and being recognised are shown to the same sunbeds!

Royal Clipper 7.9.26

The day is enlivened by the arrival of a Tall Masts type ship believed to be Royal Clipper which anchors close by. There are several super yachts around as we also saw off Capri.

La Marinella Bathing areas 7.9.26

There is some other entertainment with a day boat picking up some food. It returns after about ep minutes and the passengers board for their day trip out and about. The waves are slightly larger than they had been so the transfer is fraught, particularly for a child being carried. All make it safely. A second boat also collects travellers but the waves are easier so it is much easier for them.

We eat dinner in the hotel to the amusement of at least one guest who thought we were holograms. Whilst not the best meal of the holiday it was better than the other two in the hotel, edible if nothing else.

For the record the Newmarket description of the day:
Spend your last day enjoying the surroundings of the hotel, Sorrento and all of its charms.

Amalfi Coast 6.9.26

7 September 2026 / admin

Capri Chair lift 6.9.26

We are back on the road this morning – a minibus down to the port in Sorrento and a bit of a route march to the actual ferry which takes us over to Capri. Once we arrive we have to wait for suitable minibuses to be available and this seems poorly organised as it is a case of waiting for them to complete the round trip with all of the visitors arriving at the same time so the system cannot cope this particular morning. Another driver comes on duty to take the last bus in the garage and we end up being split into two groups to reach our destination.

View of Capri coast 6.9.26

We are taken to the top of the island at Anacapri. Here I choose to take the chair lift to the very top for the views. The chair lift is very peaceful and there are some great views from the peak. There is not long before joining the queue to descend. At both ends there are some nice gentlemen who lift me out of the chair lift as I am not sure I would have managed it by myself.

Fortino di Bruto Mount Solaro Capri 6.9.26

Returning to Anacapri from the summit I wander along the shopping street returning to the bus station where we gather for a trip to the middle level on the island – Capri itself. We swerve the guided walk to the gardens as a very quick glance does indicate that it would mean going up and down hills. After lunch I manage to get a picture of the funicular which we did not have time to use. Highly annoying as a return visit is unlikely.

Funicular Capri 6.9.26

After some time sitting in the sun we get the minibuses back down to the port. Once upon a time island visitors would have always visited the Blue Grotto – but the numbers simply do not allow for this to happen and instead we have a sea trip around the island.

Gennarino Scugnizzo Capri 6.9.26

Gennarino Scigunizzo di Capri is a young Neapolitan boy, a scugnizzo, which is a colloquial term for street urchin, living and sleeping on the city streets. But Gennarino found a home on Capri. It is traditional to greet him to avoid bad luck.

We can see it is a pretty island and I suspect it is very quiet in the evenings once the visitor numbers drop down. Like a few other places we have been (Lisbon and Versailles) it is my feeling that the location cannot cope with the current visitor numbers – no doubt it brings in revenue – we ate lunch for example – but the huge “scrum” at the chair lift station are far from being enjoyable. We travelled on a Sunday – was that the problem? I do not know – but I actually do not think the trip was enjoyable – necessary as we will not return – but there were a lot of other people so it was not pleasant.

For the record the Newmarket description of the day:
Today will prove one of the highlights of your holiday, as you meet your guide to board the jet-foil for the 20-minute crossing from Sorrento to the wonderful Isle of Capri. When you arrive in this famous hideaway of poets and artists, a minibus will take you to the picturesque village of Anacapri on the slopes of Monte Solaro. You will have time to take a chair-lift ride to the summit of Solaro (payable locally) before you continue to the island’s main town to visit the Augustus Gardens, overlooking the Canzone del Mare, former home to the legendary Gracie Fields.

Amalfi Coast 5.9.26

6 September 2026 / admin

Marinella Beach Club

We take the day off option, visiting the La Marinella beach club the entrance to which is at the bottom of the hill. I have a feeling that most people took the opportunity to visit the countryside but my preference is not to be out and about. Temperatures all week have been around 30 dec C which is both higher than normal and higher than we had anticipated. It would normally be around 25 Centigrade and the guide admitted that the summer had been much warmer than normal. However to reach the club we have to descend in the lift to closer to the sea level.

We take sun beds in the shade of the cliff as being in the sun is pretty hot. We are facing the bay of Naples which city and Vesuvius are immediately opposite on the other side of the water. Many boats around us on the water and as the day progresses the sunbeds are all pretty full. Very restful and the chance to listen to some recordings.

Majestic Palace S’Agnello 2.9.26

In the evening Jackie had booked dinner for us at the nearby Michelin restuarant – Don Geppi. This has three wonderful elements – a stunning decorated room, friendly staff and excellent food. It was within easy walking distance and is located with the Majestic Palace hotel.

For the record the Newmarket description of the day:
Rest and relax in Sorrento, or join today’s optional excursion for a fascinating insight into some of the traditions and cuisine of the region (further details removed).

Amalfi Coast 4.9.26

5 September 2026 / admin

Amalfi Cathedral 4.9.26

Another early start and we wind our way up and over the hills which separate the Sorrento side of the peninsula to the Amalfi side. This takes a few minutes but once we are on the other side the views are immediately beautiful as we proceed in a generally easterly direction towards Salerno. Tourist coaches are only allowed in this direction and on our last visit as we were driving we could drive from east to west so it adds to the contrast. On the first section of the trip our coach meets a service bus coming the other way (as they are permitted for obvious reasons) which involves a lot of reversing (for us) back up a hill to a point where the bus and coach can both breathe in and squeeze past each other.

Pansa Coffee Shop Amalfi 4.9.26

Our first stop is in Amalfi itself which is lovely, a cathedral which looks impressive from the outside and which is blessed with an excellent cake shop next door, Pasticceria Pansa provided an opportunity for a coffee and cake break which was most welcome after about an hour on the coach.

Amalfi 4.9.26

We also find a ceramics shop and I identify a mixed platter set which we plan to carry back. The late lamented lemon plate had been replaced with something which will actually be useful and it will sit in the corner in the kitchen and will survive we hope. So the circle is completed.

Atrani 4.9.26

For reasons which are obvious to someone else (but not me) we are now in smaller minibuses passing through numerous pretty villages, although ensuring a decent photograph proves elusive. No doubt I drove through Atrani in the other direction but I would never have been able to enjoy the views such as those seen above. We progress to Maiori for our lunch break and we find a lovely restaurant Pineta 1903 which has a garden covered by lemon trees and a superb choice, a real find, away from the sea front but good service and food. Highly recommended.

Cetara 4.9.26

Our journey east after lunch is once again in the main coach and we head past the rock face which scraped the car last time around. We also pass through yet more delightful villages which cling to the rock face until we rejoin the motorway near Salerno and the driver finds our way home and as it is less exciting we can have a snooze which we often do on coach trips. I do not know what happened to our coach after Amalfi but it seems that there are now significant restrictions on coaches and it may have had to go the long way round.

In the evening we wander down to the sea front and decide that Ristorante Corallo looks a perfectly great place to sit and take dinner and we are not disappointed. Nothing clever or outstanding – but just a club sandwich given we had a decent lunch.

For the record the Newmarket description of the day:
One of the most scenic coastal roads in Europe forms the backdrop for today’s included excursion. Here, fantastical rock faces plunge vertically into the sea and dizzy bridges span deep gorges while, in contrast, gently-contoured hillsides covered in vines, fruit and olive trees roll away inland.
Take in the view above the town of Positano, with its Moorish-style pink and white houses, and enjoy a visit to beautiful Amalfi, a thriving holiday resort with houses rising up the hillsides and a main square dominated by the beautiful cathedral. Whilst in Amalfi, you’ll be taken by shuttle service to Maiori, a colourful lively town, which boasts the largest beach on the 50 km Amalfi coastline where you’ll find a lovely waterfront promenade with restaurants, cafés, and shops.

Amalfi Coast 3.9.26

4 September 2026 / admin

Pompeii Amphitheatre 3.9.26

We have all read or heard of Pompeii. It represented a treasure trove for archaeologists as the city was buried under ash in AD79 on the eruption of Mount Vesuvius which remains an active volcano. It is our destination today and we have an early start for our day trip to avoid traffic and the worst of the queues, we hope. Our pick up is at adjacent hotel which has a proper coach stopping point. We then head out of the town by the inward route from two days ago with Roberta leading the group today, oddly telling us where she lives as we pass it. The group based in the hotel in Sorrento have a coach to themselves so the total group size needs two coaches – it is one of the largest holiday groups in which we have ever participated.

We park a short walk from the entrance to Pompeii and we are soon feeling very warm. Our guide Johnnie takes us around the edge of town and into the amphitheatre and from there our progress is steadily uphill from there. It is carefully planned and we cover more of the entire site than I was anticipating we might manage.

Roman Road Pompeii 3.9.26

We meet a real Roman Road. There are stepping stones as the roads were designed to carry the waste of the city downhill – mains drainage was along the main roads. The “stepping” stones are spaced to prevent carts entering the city – they only allow those allowed into the town to pass. Visitors were stopped outside and needed to use local vehicles to reach their destination – it is all about the money!

Fast Food Pompeii 3.9.26

We visit one of many little food outlets as it seems street food was important and these places provided food on the go for those passing by.

Internal decoration Pompeii 3.9.26

The vast amounts of ash also protected the internal decoration some of which can be seen.

Aqueduct Pillar Pompeii 3.9.26

Almost unremarked but important is the pillar above which once held the aqueduct bringing clean water into the town from distance, now adorned by a CCTV cameras. It is impossible within the photographs to indicate the scale of the site. Wikipedia advises that it is around 160 – 170 acres and was home to around 11,500 people (which I assume includes slaves). It was originally a port but it is now about 760 yards from the coastline. it originated in around 8th Century BC to serve Greek and Phoenician sailors steadily expanding inland until the Romans ceased extending in about 89 BC.

Forum Pompeii 3.9.26

At the highest point is the Forum and adjacent to that is the market area. In the market area they have casts of three of the bodies found in Pompeii to demonstrate how the inhabitants were overwhelmed by the falling ash.

It comes as a surprise to navigate the steps down to the entrance that we have gone up as far as we did. Lunch is in the adjacent hotel which rapidly delivers a large pizza. A bargain at €20 if you get the plateful of pizza (Jackie) but less so if you get the four pieces of stuffed pasta and feel hard done by! However it is indoors and much cooler so very welcome in that respect

Fontana del Gigante Naples 3.9.26

We are then driven into Naples and are invited to walk along the sea front prior to returning to our hotel.

Castel dell’Ovo Naples 3.9.26

There is the famous saying “See Naples and die”. I believe that I have not really seen Naples. It has a reputation for being a city beset with crime and consequently unsafe for visitors. I have no idea how true that is, but if there is a beautiful city in hiding then for this trip it remains hidden and somehow I doubt that a return visit is high on the list – but then who knows what the future holds. I believe we were shown most of the items detailed below but as we were on the coach obtaining photos was as always difficult.

At the hotel we take the dinner again but it has not improved. On both days the pasta starter course was reasonable but the turkey with lemon tonight accompanied by the same near inedible vegetables only increases the resolve not to eat in again if at all possible.

For the record the Newmarket description of the day:
Today’s included excursion begins with a visit to the awe-inspiring ruins of Roman Pompeii in the company of a local guide for a walking tour. Destroyed, and yet miraculously preserved, by the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius in 79AD, Pompeii lay buried and forgotten for hundreds of years. it was rediscovered in the 18th Century, and since then excavations have continued to reveal more and more of this ancient, once magnificent city where the villas, temples and frescoed houses give a very vivid insight into Roman life.
From Pompeii you’ll journey around the bay, passing the brooding hulk of the famous volcano to one of Italy’s most colourful cities, the great southern Italian capital, Naples. Highlights of your guided panoramic tour here will include Garibaldi and Plebiscito squares in the UNESCO-listed heart of the city, with their fine statues; the San Carlo Opera House, second only in importance to Milan’s famed La Scala; and the Royal Palace. You’ll also take in medieval, turreted Castel Nuovo, and the spectacular view from Posillipo Hill, which rises up above the city, before you return to Sorrento at the end of a wonderful day.

Amalfi Coast 2.9.26

3 September 2026 / admin

ETR 090 at S’Agnello Station 2.9.26

The group welcome meeting is in Sorrento which gives me an opportunity to take the train from S’Agnello into Sorrento, which is only one stop and in this temperature far preferable to walking (about 30 minutes) and the bus timetable seems not to have heard of regular interval service and seems to be a complex set of routes. It is a climb up to the central part of the town and the station itself is up steps. The ticket machine works in English and accepts payment by phone at the bottom of the steps, so I make some guesses. When I get upstairs I find there is a staffed ticket office and then a delayed train. I almost certainly overpaid.

The railway is narrow gauge, 950mm, with 1500v DC supplied by overhead catenary. At S’Agnello the line is single towards Sorrento (one stop) but parts of the line which commences in Naples have been doubled. ETR 090 as pictured is an FE220 unit and dates back to the 1970s I believe with replacement rolling stock now being delivered.

The train is 11 minutes late but it is the service prior to the one I needed to catch, so time is not a concern. There is nowhere to scan the ticket to open the gate and so I wave at the individual in a uniform who motions me to come towards the gate and it magically opens – does no-one actually care about ticket validity in Italy as I remember it being the same in Turin?

ETR 221 at Sorrento station 2.9.26

The more modern ETR211 units were delivered between 2008 and 2009 and this one has the number ETR221 on the solebar – so not sure how the numbering actually works! These are rather more modern as can be seen and they provide the limited stop services.

Sorrento Harbour 2.9.26

I then walk through the town to the top of the cliffs above the two ports, one is for leisure use and the other for trade use as far as I can establish. I return to the café near to the station and listen to the instructions for the week, sending edited highlights to Jackie. I also mention our concern over the food and potential walking distance tomorrow in Pompeii. It appears there are no benches on which to sit within the area so it could be difficult.

Sorrento Old Town 2.9.26

The day is hot and I decide that I am not keen on exploring Sorrento any further and decide to take the train back, it is a different design but an incoming train has even more graffiti than usual.

Graffitied trains Sorrento 2.9.26

Once back in the town of S’Agnello I stop and pick up a large quantity of water, some of which I am keen to consume once back in the hotel. We lie on beds by the pool, but in the shade, for a while and then retreat for an afternoon snooze.

Vesuvius from Vesuvkio Sky Bar 2.9.26

In the evening we wander down to the top of the cliffs to survey the waterfront which is at a much lower level. We then enter Hotel Vesuvio and visit the Sky or in reality the Ruiart Bar where the DJ is already pretty loud but the views of Vesuvius are magnificent! After starting a bottle of Ruinart we descend one floor to the restaurant where we are shown to the prime table from which to watch the sunset. Dinner is excellent. I have venison tartare and then rabbit. The rabbit had a very colourful presentation which I found distracting but it was great to eat even if it did not delight the eye.

For the record the Newmarket description of the day:
Today you’re free to rest and relax, either enjoying the facilities of the hotel, or perhaps venturing into the centre of delightful Sorrento. The town, perched upon its cliff-top, seems built between the sky and the sea, and offers everything you might need for an enjoyable stay. Its colourful heart is the Piazza Tasso, pedestrianised in the evenings, when the bars and cafés that surround it become a perfect place to watch the locals meeting friends and strolling through the city on their nightly passeggiata.
On the shore, Sorrento’s two tiny ports are backed by even tinier beaches and several boardwalks dotted with beach huts and sunloungers. Out on the water, pleasure-craft of all shapes and sizes (and the occasional cruise ship) add to the colourful scene.

Amalfi Coast 1.9.26

2 September 2026 / admin

T5 Pod Parking 1.9.26

Up early to get loaded and depart for Heathrow T5 via the wonderful Pod parking. We are early so have a wait which is extended due to our aeroplane having undergone maintenance overnight and in consequence was at the wrong end of the airport.

We board and take off at 08:50 so should not be too late on arrival. BA524 and G-NEOP which is an Airbus A321. It is not quite full and yet we hear BA staff moaning about suitcases again within our earshot, I despair at the training being delivered these days, no consideration of passengers at all, simply just customers not passengers going on a journey with the airline.

BA524 flight – data from Flight Aware

The flight is smooth and the lost time recovered with touch down 5 minutes early. That was the end of the good news as it then took a shade under 2 hours to complete passport control. We pointed out that we are registered but apparently all British passports are being rejected, hence the queue, which snakes around a large holding pen and which has clearly been in place for sometime so this is very much not a one off. It seems that once the queue exceeds 45 minutes they revert to manual processing and stamping of passports. To be honest it now looks as though it is purely and simple a device with orders from on high to prevent British entry as plane loads of Americans are waved through rapidly. Most of the others in the queue have also registered before – so why not get us through the e-gates?

Vesuvius 1.9.26

Some 2.5 hours after landing we are finally on the coach, driving past Vesuvius which dominates the landscape. Then through three tunnels and then a drive down towards Sorrento (which I must have traversed in the opposite direction and of which I have no memory) and we are delivered to Hotel Eliseo Parks in the adjacent town of S’Agnello. Book in and unpack.

Sorrento Peninsular 1.9.26

This is from the coach window as we wind down a twisting road into the five towns which occupy the coastline with Sorrento being in the far distance.

After a shower and then it is time to eat the dinner requested as we booked in. Yes it is the little known cost reduction philosophy or phenomenon of having to know what you want to eat hours before dinner time. Normally we are told that on future days we have to decide at breakfast what we have to eat in the evening. I do realise that some cost control is necessary but somehow my brain just rejects the rationality of making such decisions. How do I know what I might fancy some 8 or more hours hence.

When dinner is served we are not exactly impressed. The initial linguine is not too bad but the hake delivered to Jackie looks like nothing on earth and certainly not some form of fresh fish caught overnight and delivered to the hotel this very morning. My piece of pork is not too bad in itself but the accompanying vegetables probably saw better days once upon a time, before they were cooked to near inedibility. Not a wonderful start. Given that the hotel is an upgrade on the three star in Sorrento we are a little surprised. Visually the hotel is attractive – but the food does not feel 4 star style.

Not being amused with dinner an online search brings up Hotel Vesuvio with a sky bar and impressive looking restaurant where a booking is made for tomorrow night.

For the record the Newmarket description of the day:
Arrive in Italy, meet your tour manager and board our coach for the scenic journey to the Bay of Naples, and on to your chosen hotel, in or close to Sorrento.

Yorkshire 18 – 21 June 2026

22 June 2026 / admin / 0 Comments

Mother Shipton 20-6-26

We had a long weekend visiting Loughborough, staying at the Hammer and Pincers again (in a quieter room and with a decent meal) then travelling onto Yorkshire where we were attending a family wedding in Harrogate and at the Sportsman’s Arms.

Good Lady Wife Knaresborough 20-6-26

On our outward route we passed through Knaresborough seeing signs directing us to Mother Shipton’s cave a well known and long standing tourist attraction. With time to invest in this on Saturday 20 June we retrace our steps and head into the gates. The lady is very kind and no doubt aware of our advancing years grants us free car parking in the lower car park – most welcome as we would have struggled with the walk back.

Even from the car park it is still quite some way to the location of the cave which also has various attractions along the way. It is a sunny day and no doubt as they day progresses it will get a lot busier. Mother Shipton was a sixteenth century soothsayer or perhaps according to some accounts a witch. Allegedly born in the cave and to which she returned later in her life there are many stories surrounding her existence. Without a time machine no-one will ever know the truth.

Mother Shipton in cave 20-6-26

We then head towards the Peak district and a visit to Peak Rail which along with my journey on the Great Central are recorded on the railways blog.

We spend the night at the Cavendish Hotel on the edge of the Chatsworth Estate. Heading home on Sunday morning we retrace our steps intending to photograph Chatsworth House and discover that when we passed yesterday there is a wonderful view of the House today it is entirely screened from our view and we have driven onwards before realising it had vanished. A wonderful deception.

Menorca 5 June 2026

12 June 2026 / admin

Statue El Toro Menorca 5-6-26

On the Friday we have a booked trip around a part of the island but it actually turns out to cover quite a bit of Menorca. We are picked up reasonably early and visit a couple of other resorts to collect other participants – we come to the conclusion that we are doing well from what we see elsewhere.

Sanctuary Virgen del Toro Menorca 5-6-26

Our first destination is El Toro which is the highest point on the island 1175 ft above sea level. The name derives from the Catalan for height – it is not linked in any way to the Spanish term for a bull. it is roughly in the centre of the island and is Menorca’s only significant summit. At the summit there is also a statue of Christ and the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Toro, which is a Gothic church dating from 1670.

Marina Ciutadella Menorca 5-6-26

We descend from the mountainous heights (well that might be an overstatement) and head towards the old capital of the island, Ciutadella de Menorca, which is pronounced as far as I can determine as “Citidella” and simply derives from being a citadel which is at the western end of the island. The modern capital is at the far end of the island but Mahon became the capital during the period of British rule in the Eighteenth Century. Mahon is where mayonnaise was created.

Ciutadella Fish Market Menorca 5-6-26

We are able to wander around the town centre and then find ourselves an ice cream until it is time to return to the hotel. I spy a new handbag as my old one is showing signs of wear so I am able to obtain a replacement at a reasonable price. We shall see how long it lasts.

Ciutadella streets Menorca 5-6-26

We visit an important house which is open and the photographs are in the usual place on my Flickr page – but there are enough here to give a flavour of the place I hope.