Category: Holidays (Page 5 of 11)

Cornwall 6.5.25

7 May 2025 / admin

Camel Estuary Rock 6.5.25

When planning the holiday originally the plan was a busy day then a less busy day and so today we are not doing very much at all. The original plan was to visit Port Isaac not for the obvious televisual connection (no I have never watched Doc Martin) but to partake of a meal at a Nathan Outlaw restaurant (he has a couple). However the menu at the selected restaurant was changed to a very limited option shortly before we came west (no doubt the majority like it – but the lack of choice was off putting) and so we decided to change horses and moved the booking to a restaurant in Rock.

As the sun is shining this morning it is pleasant to sit in the caravan and make progress with reading – the magazine backlog plus some chapters of Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier are being tackled as I need to complete the latter prior to our last stay on this holiday. So far Mary Yelland has experienced a strange death, comings and goings and an entertaining Christmas Eve and the wilds of Bodmin Moor (which somehow seems less fearsome with a dual carriageway through it!).

We stayed in Rock on our last Cornish holiday (2013) and Nathan Outlaw was then resident in Rock in a hotel where we had an excellent meal as I recall, so the lost excursion to Port Isaac is regretted. Our new lunch destination is The Mariners in Rock which is owned by Paul Ainsworth who competes against Rick Stein across the River Camel estuary in Padstow although I suspect the outpost here is more the control of the resident chef. Parking is at the very far end of Rock and it is a few minutes’ walk back along the front to the pub.

We are very lucky in that the sun has come out today and it is warmer than we might have anticipated. We had an early lunch booking and there we could select a table outside – later diners could only sit indoors as the downstairs outside tables had all gone when we arrived as had some of those on the first floor. In front of us the Camel estuary has a number of sailing boats navigating their way around plus the ferries going back and forth to Padstow which add to the entertainment. Oh to have been here some 70 years ago watching the Southern Region services going back and forth along the line along the opposite shoreline into Padstow from Wadebridge. Sadly a different era – but it would have added to the activity. And from here would have looked like a neat model railway.

We go for a fairly simple option of fish and chips for main course and this is excellent. It may not be the largest serving on this coast having seen some of the competition – but it was first class and was followed with an excellent trifle which probably (after some consideration) is deemed better than the one we consumed in the Tartan Fox.

We wander back to the car and then back to Piran Meadows. Coming into Rock we had noticed a pastry shop so on our return journey we pull over and pasties are acquired for dinner later in the day. Very tasty and recommended if you are passing.

Given the weather it is ideal to make use of the hot tub once again – what a pleasant way to spend the day doing virtually nothing for once. And in the sunshine. Bits of me might even turn brown.

Cornwall 5.5.25

6 May 2025 / admin

Kingswood Helston Railway

We are heading further afield today and we are sent by the sat nav along some pretty narrow roads, once we turn off the A30, to find the Helston Railway which (at least on the route we used) has zero brown signs and indeed I drove past the entrance as the placards are not that obvious. As we perambulated through the countryside we passed a horse being ridden and accompanied by a cyclist and another man walking a tiny pony (or possibly just a very large dog – but I am told it was a pony). The car park is approached through a farm and it is not direct access to the railway.

The Helston Railway is the heritage line sited furthest west in the country. They have now preserved a section of line about 1 1/4 mile long between Prospidnick and Truthall Halt. The latter is an exact replica of the original. There have been various calls for further extension but these seem unlikely at present – possibly to a new terminus closer to Helston but this requires a large viaduct to be restored – some clearance of the track bed has been undertaken.

Our transport has a diesel engine at the Prospidnick end of two coaches with a driver position at the front of a former DMU vehicle at the Truthall Halt end of the train. There is a coach for buying tickets and a buffet car sitting on a length of track and then one takes a path alongside the track to the platform which is the other side of a viaduct. The locomotive “Kingswood” is an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 which is all the two coaches need.

The journey takes about 10 minutes, then 15 minutes to change ends (and we change coach) and then ten minutes or so back. All of the volunteers around are very friendly and there are a few other passengers this morning – although not a large number. Operations are on a limited number of days so we are lucky to have included a bank holiday Monday in our week away to permit travel.

We then head onwards to Marazion – eventually finding a more major road having wended our way around some more narrow back lanes. At Marazion we park in the long stay car park but finding signs to the boats to St Michael’s Mount and the promised guides proves a real challenge. If you say you will have friendly guides to show people the way then please provide them!

St Michael’s Mount 5.5.25

St Michael’s Mount is linked to the main land via a causeway which today is underwater and so a boat journey is needed. Decent sized boats and here again I feel the online advice is far from accurate. Much is made of booking a specific time and being there significantly in advance of the stated time. Which would be good if people knew where to go, how far the long term parking is from the boat ferries and the need to find the information booth first. Then as far as I could tell absolutely no-one was interested in the time we had actually booked, despite all the online warnings (and I assume a bank holiday Monday is one of the busier days!).

Once on the island I head over to the gardens first – which are up and down a lot of steps on the side of the rock which supports the castle at the top of the mount. Like Stourhead there is some decent colour and I take many photos as I slowly climb up and down. At various points I let other people overtake me as they are moving more speedily.

The climb to the castle is also pretty hard – no easy routes for those less able here – and the stones are far from even, although unlike the Giant’s Causeway they are all dry so not a slip hazard here. I make it to the castle and take quite a few photos again before steadily descending.

We have booked an afternoon cream tea in the Harbour Loft and apart from slightly dry scones it was nice to have some decent sustenance after the heights scaled and then returned from so far today. I had decided to wear my heavy coat – who knows what the weather is going to be like so with the sun out it is warm but there is also a breeze today so I preferred having the cost as I might have been cold without it.

We rejoin the A30 just outside Penzance and head back to St Piran. For the first time we have covered the current A30 all of which is dual carriageway until it reaches the developed areas outside Penzance – and certainly the road seems to flow really well most of the time. There are some traffic lights on the initial road out of Penzance which delay our departure but the rest of the way is good – although the satnav is unaware of the recent extension to the dual carriageway and from time to time show that we are “Offroad” even though we are very definitely on the recently opened sections of the A30!

Cornwall 4.5.25

5 May 2025 / admin

Tartan Fox

Having spent three days travelling down to Cornwall in stages we are not going very far today as out lunch is booked at the Tartan Fox which is situated inside another holiday park about 5 miles from the one where we are staying. It feels further as the road away from our park is quite narrow for a while and not being a local and not knowing the road I take it slowly in case we meet some other cars – although soon it is wider and progress can then be made.

The Tartan Fox is an Adam Handling restaurant and we indulge ourselves with some cheese balls before the main event of a Sunday roast beef lunch – excellent and for once the gravy is served on the side and not touching the Yorkshire pudding at all without even asking. To follow Jackie chose a trifle and I had the deep fried Mars bar. However we swapped half way through but I know I made the right choice in the first place.

Ellie @ Lappa Valley

Another couple of miles away is the Lappa Valley Railway which I visited something like 40 years in its very early years and it has subsequently changed out of all recognition. The road route from lunch to the railway is along some quite narrow roads and we do meet some other vehicles – but passing places are usually quite close – so we get past the oncoming traffic without problem in most cases.

So much has changed since my previous visit that to be honest little is recognisable. We are taken along the route of the old Newquay – Chacewater as before to the East Wheal Rose mine site – where a small lake now houses pedaloes, there is a pitch and putt course and an indoor play area for children (The Engine Shed) which has been built quite recently. We do not sample the resources other than the other railways.

There are now two other railways here – a small 7 1/4 inch gauge circular trip around the lake and a 10in gauge service to Newlyn Downs station which picks up the route along the former main rail line; I do not think either existed on my prior visit. At the far end of the line here is there is another playground – so plenty to exhaust any number of children – which of course we do not have!

The Lappa Valley has just won an award as the Heritage Railway of the year 2025 and as it falls a little out of the mainstream of railway activity one might wonder why. I would say however that the training given to the volunteers (as I am sure most of them are) to enthuse the travelling children to shout at the shark in the lake or going through the tunnel is important and in my case one of the team kindly showed me into the two engine sheds so with luck I have some photos of the locos which are not in service today.

The line changed hands about 10 years ago and it is fair to say that the new owners have invested a further small fortune in developing the resources. We all know that such facilities are not huge money spinning activities in terms of profit making enterprises – but hopefully encouraging youngsters with the right approach might light a fire for future volunteers on other railways across the country.

I certainly wish them well.

Cornwall 3.5.25

4 May 2025 / admin

Killerton Park Music Room

We partake of breakfast and then before departing survey a little more of Lympstone Manor – we visit the pool and the pool house – all of which looks beautiful. We also see more of the statues and other sculptures and art installations round the hotel – all of which looks very lovely. We see a tennis court and see signs for a croquet lawn – so no doubt catering for a wide variety of tastes.

The car decides this morning that it will talk with a female voice – which has been changed from the usual male voice without human intervention. Also at one point it gives an instruction to go to one destination – which I spot on an overhead sign – so get in that lane – but she then starts recalculating as I am not on the route she anticipated! A little later I am following the brown signs to our first destination – but then I am told to turn off to the left – but there is an extra left turn whilst the real route is straight ahead. The turning I have taken proves to be a dead end. I am not a happy bunny at this point. The male voice was re-instated later.

We eventually get to Killerton Park and once parked we head to the house and find that our timing is perfect as the main house is about to open. We will not be doing the grounds today as we walked far enough yesterday. After a brief introduction we are encouraged to go upstairs first. On the first floor there is an extensive fashion collection from the 1920’s which makes for something different and then downstairs they are showing the house as it would have been in the same time period first with the music room. Then a little way round a corner there is a room setup for dancing the Charleston which then leads to a library for a quiet time later in the evening when a breather might be needed. Finally the dining room is laid up for breakfast to enable the guests to recover after the excesses the night before. All rather well done and with the usual room guides filling in details for visitors.

Killerton Park Breakfast

As we arrived a herd of cattle were being let out into one of the fields and whilst I am not sure they were skipping as they went they were certainly going faster than normal cow walking pace and the three leading animals could be seen heading across to the far side of the field which the herd had been put in and it looked as if they were assessing the eating available, the shade (it is another warm day) and would later be reporting back to the remainder of the herd later.

We now return to the M5 briefly and the A30 through Cornwall. It is some years since I have been this way and until we turn off at Bodmin it is now all dual carriageway and I note at least one section I can tell is new and elsewhere it certainly seems that it flows better than I remember. However although I drove to Launceston a few years ago to visit the railway we have not been deeper into Cornwall. I had anticipated having to ignore the satnav to head into Bodmin to find a supermarket but somehow the man (we hit it with a hammer, found the right setting and got rid of that terrible woman) seemed to know that I wanted to go into Bodmin and was telling me to turn off at the right turning – and luckily Aldi was right where it needed to be for Jackie to do some shopping.

We then proceeded onto Piran Meadows through the middle of Bodmin which was not quite the preferred route, having been advised that our caravan is available earlier than expected so can go straight in. Goods put away. Cases unpacked and then it is time to use the hot tub for the first time this evening.

Hopefully a better night’s sleep tonight.

Cornwall 2.5.25

3 May 2025 / admin

Stourhead 2.5.25

The room in the Nog Inn, Wincanton is a decent size and we were forced to have the window open because of the high temperatures – some of the warmest ever days to start May. Consequently we also discovered that Wincanton has some pretty noisy birds as the sunrise bird song was impossible to ignore, added to which people in one of the adjacent rooms were very early departures and were not as quiet as they might have been.

However breakfast is excellent and was a great start to the day. Car loaded we then headed ever so slightly east as we finally make it to Stourhead. We had been due to visit it at the end of July last year but our plans fell apart when we encountered a pub room that was not a patch on the excellent quality of the Nog Inn and decided to drive home rather than to endure two nights in a less welcoming environment. No names – but we had intended to visit Stourhead then but headed home instead.

We had never been to Stourhead before, although have obviously seen pictures of the gardens and one or two appearances on television programmes, so the views are known – but until one is actually standing there it is perhaps hard to visualise the reality – which is beautiful. We did most of the main walk – taking one shortcut at the expense of a steep gradient to leave out some of the meander.

The house was reconstructed by the Hoare family with monies originally derived from goldsmithing and banking until such time as more difficult periods were suffered as is often the case with later family generations. The grounds have been maintained and have now matured perhaps beyond what the originators could ever have imagined. Visitors to the Hoare family were required to navigate the full garden walk – but I suppose it was a good way of developing an appetite.

The inside of the house is currently open only at ground floor level – but perhaps the most stunning room for me was the library. However the picture gallery on the other side of the house again has a size and contents which were intended to prove to the visitors of the wealth and standing of the family in a fashion similar to that demonstrated by Bess of Hardwick and Hardwick Hall which we visited a few weeks ago.

Leaving Stourhead we then took to the A303 and traversed the Blackdown Hills. I first remember driving this road with an uncle in 1973. There was one particularly sharp curve at Barton which I struggled even then to believe should be allowed on an A road. In the intervening 52 years the curve has been eased a little through road widening, but it remains a huge surprise on an A road. Much of the remainder of the route (except at Stonehenge) has changed significantly over the intervening period and indeed this trip encountered a completely new section a Sparkford (opened in November 2024) which was unknown to the satnav as it tried to tell me which exit to take at a now non-existent roundabout.

Our destination today is Lympstone Manor which is almost in Exmouth even if it is called Lympstone. Road works slow our final approach as we are diverted around the countryside and then get caught in particularly slow traffic due to an invisible set of lights for the road works (invisible in that we turn off before reaching them).

Lympstone Manor is a gorgeous hotel, owned and run by Michael Caines. He has developed the property and it has some wonderful views out over the Exe estuary and with the clear fine weather we can see large numbers of little boats in the estuary.

Pre-dinner we sit on the terrace in the sun – it feels warmer out there than in the lounge and sup a glass of the hotel’s own sparkling wine from the vineyard in view between us and the water. And a great start to the evening. Unusually we decide to go with the fish only menu – most of which is local.

Lympstone Manor menu

Regrettably something goes wrong and we get the courses in the wrong order and that takes the shine off the evening slightly. Apologies are made and charges reduced – so the right things are done but it is a shame that it was not right. The ravioli lobster course and the rhubarb soufflé were both excellent but perhaps because of the mix up we felt it was not quite as good as last night.

Cornwall 1.5.25

2 May 2025 / admin

Osip menu

As we are going to spend most of the time we are away on this holiday utilising a caravan we are taking the large car as we will need the space – we have undertaken similar trips in the small car before but it is easier to get shopping in the large car as well as the cases and other bags. This is also an ever increasing holiday. Initially only a week away was planned and then we added a stop off on the way down to break up the journey and as our final stop insists on two nights over a weekend. It eventually became 11 days when we read about another highly rated restaurant which turns out not to be too far off the A303 (our preferred route west) so we added a further extra stop on the outward journey and that enabled an additional location to be visited without having to rush around.

Having filled up with petrol it is the M3 first and then the A303 as we head towards Wincanton where we are stopping at the Nog Inn for the night. We arrive and spot the inn on the right but completely miss the car park on the other side of the road which the staff confirm exists when we phone them – however at the second circuit of the one way system we find it with a member of staff able to direct us and so we get parked.

The reason for staying here is to enable a visit to Osip – a restaurant now located in a former pub nr Bruton. A taxi has been arranged to take us from the pub to the restaurant so we wait outside the pub and it is on time. Which is just as well as the destination appears to be in the middle of nowhere – it is definitely physically not in Bruton itself – although that may be the nearest town.

We are a little concerned as the initial vibes feel similar to those engendered at Restaurant Jericho in Nottinghamshire which we experienced a few weeks ago and did not enjoy. Tonight was a completely different ball park and was enjoyable from start to finish plus the pairing wines were excellent as well – really complementing the taste of the food – something which does not always happen with tasting wines. (Photo of menu copyright Jackie Whitbread).

Ali the taxi cab is also able to get us back to the Nog Inn at the end of the evening safely. We are able to navigate the cobbles and the steps back to our room, where we settle down to sleep.

Lisbon / Sintra 4.3.25

6 March 2025 / admin

National Palace Sintra

We have a quieter day today – a walk up the hill (if you visit Sintra hills are inevitable) – to the National Palace which is adjacent to the main square.

Wikipedia says that it is the best preserved medieval royal residence in Portugal as it has been in near continuous use from the early 15th century when the Islamic Moors ruled the region until late in the 19th century. None of the Moorish construction survives with a part of the building being dated to the early 14th Century and much of it was erected in the early 15th century.

Externally the most striking aspect of the building are two enormous conical chimneys which extracted the fumes and smoke from the kitchens as there are two large banks of ovens and stoves for the cooks to be able to feed the royal family and the inevitable entourage.

There was further construction in the early sixteenth century as Portugal gathered wealth from the expeditions being undertaken across the world at that time. Inevitably the earthquake of 1755 led to damage but it was restored in the same fashion. Following the creation of the Republic in 1910 it became state owned and was the subject of significant restoration in the 1940s becoming a tourist attraction.

Magpie Room National Palace

The magpie room was decorated by King John 1 (ruler from 1385 to 1433) who had apparently been caught kissing a lady in waiting by his wife Philippa of Lancaster (daughter of John of Gaunt) and sister to the later Henry IV (of England). A woman not to be crossed I suspect. She married as part of the famous Anglo-Portuguese Alliance which commenced in 1386 (marriage in 1387) – making Portugal the longest of our allies and the alliance remains in force to this day.

As previously mentioned we had a light lunch in Café Paris and having spent the afternoon doing some reading in the evening we go the nearby (to our B&B) Romaria de Baco which looks slightly unprepossessing from the outside but inside we are again warmly greeted and enjoy a good meal, partly enlivened by a party of three (parents and a teenager) who were clearly having a somewhat serious argument as everyone is clearly quite fired up. Sadly with no knowledge of the language we could only guess what the upset was.

On the Wednesday (5 March 25) we have to return home. I had originally planned to take the other rail line back into Lisbon and then changing onto the metro for the last couple of stops out to the airport. Jackie insists that we book and take a taxi as she does not want anything to go wrong. At one point on the motorway we are moving very slowly and I get close to saying something but the jam clears after about twenty minutes and I have managed to restrain myself. However it would have been less stressful (probably) by rail, although I am not enthused by the metro and their lifts / escalators not being there when needed. Then the usual hanging around the airport until we have a plane and back to Heathrow and recover the car and head home.

Lisbon / Sintra 3.3.25

4 March 2025 / admin

Sintra Pena Palace 3.3.25

Our destination today is the Pena Palace and we already know where to catch the bus – it comes down the hill and stops at a particular bus stop. It is a circular service and just goes round and round and I have previously researched the price. What I did not expect was that the driver does not want to sell us the basic ticket. They have been told to sell a rover ticket at a higher price – not the simple return ticket. We do eventually get it. The price difference is a couple of Euros but I dislike being “ripped off” in this way. I suspect for those doing both palaces it might make some sense – but it is a “norty” bus company.

We pass the Moorish palace first and then reach the Pena Palace. As yesterday we are significantly early as the instructions make it clear that there is a need to be present at the time the tour is timed (every half hour). So we are able to walk around the outside parts of the castle and then watch a couple of previous timed entries enter. It becomes clear that if you are given an 11 am timing you can enter over the next 25 minutes. So rather than join a queue and be in the hustle we wait for 20 minutes after our allotted time and then we enter behind the main pack and are not being hustled along by those behind us. And potentially able to get photos without too many people in the way. (Some months later we encounter a very similar problem at St Michael’s Mount and I suspect it has all been born out of covid and no-one has quite managed to relax since).

The Palace is externally an almost glorious clash of different styles representing the contributions from various sources over the life of the palace – the heading picture struggles to convey these variations.

Pena Palace Interior

It takes about 35 – 40 minutes to go around the Palace and hopefully I will have some decent photos of it. The original monastery was destroyed in to earthquakes – the second being the one which also devastated Lisbon in 1755. In 1838 the Ferdinand II acquired the lands and set about turning it into a suitable summer palace for the royal family. A German architect was employed with construction being finally completed by 1854, although it was largely complete in 1847. The Royal family had significant input into various elements of the design. In 1889 it was bought by the State from the Royal family and after 1910 it became a museum. At the end of the 20th Century it was restored to its original colours.

In the evening we eat at the Café Paris which is immediately opposite the National Palace which we are visiting tomorrow. An excellent meal so we will have a light lunch here tomorrow as well. Decent food and well looked after which is always welcome.

Lisbon / Sintra 2.3.25

3 March 2025 / admin

CP Lisbon unit 2414

Luckily having checked yesterday we do actually know where to go to find the train to Sintra. No great problem buying tickets or finding the train. The timetable implied that there is a more frequent service than is actually the case – it turns out that there are two distinct destinations in the area and one of them is not really in Sintra where we need to be. Quite why the timetable implies they both go to Sintra I struggle to comprehend.

As with the tram yesterday the loading on the train is high – we were there early so were able to claim seats but many stand for the journey which is a slight surprise. As ever the fares are unbelievably low – far below any UK fares for similar journeys. And of course it is electrified.

We cross paths with a pair of people who were also on our food tour a few days ago as they are also going to Sintra – but intend to fit in far more (being American) whilst we are simply making the journey today and seeing sights over the next two days.

Once we have arrived in Sintra we stay close to the station as lunch is booked in a restaurant so we want to get a coffee to bridge the gap. We sit outside a coffee shop but they seem to have a crisis inside and initially refuse to serve us. As we have cases we do not wish to go inside and somehow our existence appears to be completely forgotten so instead of being warmed by coffee we are actually getting colder.

The restaurant is down the hill and unlike most diners we go for the full three courses. So we actually see people pop in, eat what is almost less than a snack and depart. It seems very odd compared with normal UK Sunday behaviour which is to consume a full roast. Indeed in a few cases they order one plate and share it.

Regrettably we have to go all the way back up to the station (up a hill) to find the taxi rank to take us to our next B&B which is centrally located – but there is an awkward one way system for cars to get into the main town.

In the evening we take a wander around the town and having had a lunch we feel a pizza might be a suitably light meal and there is little choice – but the place we use is difficult to recommend so disappointing. We have a meal booked in one place for Tuesday – externally it looks less than great but we shall see it inside when we get there.

Lisbon / Sintra 1.3.25

2 March 2025 / admin

Belem Tower

We wake and find it is a much brighter morning. The breakfast room in the hotel looks out over Restauradores and it is also interesting to watch the other residents coming and going. A decent breakfast as well.

Having been displaced from yesterday this morning we head down to Praça do Comércio intending to take the tram 15 to Belem. There is a long queue and no tram 15 appears although it is supposed to be frequent. I eventually walk to the tram stop shelter (we are at the back of lengthy queue) and there is a notice which informs me that tram 15 is truncated at some point on the route and it seems it will not be serving this stop (as it is in Portuguese I am guessing at the content to a certain extent – but the names of the roads do not mean much to me and trying to find them on Google Maps does not help a lot either).

There is an adjacent taxi rank and so we take the obvious step. A very helpful and chatty taxi driver is happy to get us to our planned destination and explains how to walk between the Tower, the monument and the Jerónimos Monastery for which I am grateful.

At the Tower the wait to enter looks like it is about 30 minutes long – but it is getting warmer so we decline the opportunity to stand around in the sun and decide to walk along to the monument. We are both sure we visited this briefly on a coach trip when moored here on a cruise a few years ago but we have a little more time to take photographs today.

Jeronimos Monastery

The Jerónimos Monastery Is the other side of the main road and so we make use of the passenger underpass emerging the other side. We have a pleasant walk through some gardens and then have trouble finding the ticket booth, hidden away in a corner of the gardens behind trees. However I can see that there is a long queue into monastery which the we overhear a discussion and it is taking a couple of hours – which is even less attractive in the sun than the wait at the Tower.

We determine we will return someday perhaps – the area is struggling to cope with the number of visitors which have appeared in the sunshine and today is not the day for us to be standing around. Having closely watched the trams moving I work out where we need to be to catch a tram for most of the return journey which we then take back towards the town centre.

The station we need to use tomorrow is immediately behind the hotel and yet the entrance in an adjacent building lacks any branding or recognition that it is an entrance – it appears to be a Starbucks. When we go in we see signs directing us upstairs to the trains – but externally it is bereft. It is fair to say that we have not seen as much of Lisbon as I would have liked due to a combination of limited opening hours, non-existent trams and simply far too many people. Frustrating to be honest.