Category: Holidays (Page 8 of 11)

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.

Cumbria 29.9.20

30 September 2020 / admin

Lowther Castle 29.9.20

Having had a day of trains and road passes when I planned this today was intended to be no great drive. All will become clear.

Not that far from where we are staying is Lowther Castle – and from the angle above it may not be immediately obvious that it is a ruined castle. It was finished in 1685 but was closed by the owner in 1935, the contents were sold in 1947 and the roof removed in 1957. Hugh Lowther, the 5th Earl of Lonsdale, had no children and lived a fairly extravagant life selling off other properties to fund it.

The 6th Earl inherited on the death of Hugh in 1944 and this led to the forced sale mentioned of the contents. The next inheritor was faced with £25M in death duties which led to the removal of the roof and a concentration on the farming aspects of the Estate. In recent years a decision has been taken to rewild much of the estate.

Inside Lowther Castle 29.9.20The house opened to public visits following some restoration in 2011 – at a cost of £9m on conversation. That work continues and it is a fascinating site with much of interest in the gardens.

Rose Garden 29.9.20

There are various summerhouses, a Japanese Garden and a rose garden which has a huge number of roses – September is not a good time for seeing this but the area covered is hard to believe.

The Lost Castle 29.9.20

Deep in the Castle Grounds there is the largest wooden playground in the Country in the form of The Lost Castle which was added in 2016. it is a hand built playground and the timber was sourced from within 11 miles – and whilst not intended for adults it is an amazing walk.

Lunch today is at the Punchbowl Inn. And here is where my careful plans fell apart. It seems that there are two Punchbowl Inns. The famous one (and the one where we are booked for lunch is at Crosthwaite near Kendal. There is also one in Askham which is actually close to Lowther Hall. So when doing final checks I realise that we have to go something like 42 miles each way – much of it motorway. I was very grateful when my wife kindly offered to do some driving today.

Cumbria 28.9.20

29 September 2020 / admin

Northern Rock R&ER 28.9.20

There are other attractions in the Lake District – today we head along the main road through the Northern end of the Lakes – the hills are beautifully lit making it a very pleasant drive. Our first destination is Ravenglass as we shall be travelling on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. However the station at the far end of the line is Dalegarth (not Eskdale).

The railway opened in 1875 and was the first narrow gauge public railway carrying passengers from 1876. Formally it became preserved in 1959 when a preservation society took ownership part funded by the Wakefield family, local landowners who remain involved). The line runs for seven miles and the journey takes 40 minutes.

Northern Rock in action 28.9.20

Northern Rock provided the motive power. Northern Rock was built in 1976 a 2-6-2 and is painted in Highland Railway livery (apparently known as Muscat Green). It is the newest of the locomotives operating on the railway.

To return to our base means taking to the hills again and this time we visit the Hardknott and Wrynose Passes. Some years ago I took a Previa over this route – in excellent weather and today it is slightly damp for the TT but it is a lot easier with a smaller vehicle. Given the way the roads run it is impossible to do one without the other but I find Hardknott harder – there are some very interesting twists and turns on the climb. As I am concentrating on the opportunity to enjoy the scenery is a little limited. However apparently it is the last time Jackie is going over these two passes.

In the evening we go to 1863 a restaurant in Pooley Bridge which is at the northern end of Ullswater. Parking was a little difficult for some reason and sometimes when things get disjointed by a little thing like parking then it is more difficult to concentrate on the meal. As I recall this was the least liked dining destination – but others may feel completely different – perhaps we were tired after the earlier exertions.