Nov 2009 : Peak District & Derbyshire Oct 2009 : Vancouver Sep 2009 : Longleat & Wiltshire May 2009 : Dartmoor, Devon Apr 2009 : Perth, Scotland Feb 2009 : Whistler Feb 2009 : Norfolk & Cambridge Jan 2009 : Wiltshire Oct 2008 : Torrevieja, Spain Sep 2008 : Perth, Scotland Aug 2008 : Odiham, Hampshire Jun 2008 : British Columbia, Canada May 2008 : Cyprus Apr 2008 : Torrevieja, Spain Apr 2008 : Perth, Scotland Apr 2008 : Wrexham Mar 2008 : Vail, Colorado, USA Dec 2007 : Rajastan, India Oct 2007 : Torrevieja, Spain Oct 2007 : Orlando, Florida Sep 2007 : The Witterings, Sussex Aug 2007 : Torrevieja, Spain Jul 2007 : Cardiff & Swansea Jun 2007 : Castrocara, Italy May 2007 : Sardinia, Italy Apr 2007 : Scotland Mar 2007 : Gloucestershire Feb 2007 : Jamaica Dec 2006 : Morocco Nov 2006 : Andalucia, Spain Aug 2006 : Malaga, Spain Jul 2006 : Finland Mar 2006 : Courcheval, France Feb 2006 : Gloucestershire Jan 2006 : Perth Nov 2005 : Florida Oct 2005 : Turkey Jul 2005 : The Cambridge Folk Festival Mar 2005 : Madrid Feb 2005 : Cotswolds and Bath Feb 2005 : Florida Jul 2004 : The Cambridge Folk Festival

Dec 2004 : Whistler & Vancouver Nov 2004 : North Cyprus, Turkey May 2004 : China Feb 2004 : Whistler, Canada Nov 2003 : Florida Oct 2003 : Egypt Sep 2003 : Düren, Germany Aug 2003 : Shrewsbury & Wales May 2003 : Cyprus & Egypt Apr 2003 : Chatel, France Feb 2003 : Madrid Oct 2002 : Tunisia Sep 2002 : Paris Aug 2002 : Cephalonia, Olympia & Athens Jul 2002 : Chester Jul 2002 : Pevensey Bay & Brighton Jun 2002 : Germany & Denmark Apr 2002 : Bath & Stone Henge Dec 2001 : New York & New Jersey Nov 2001 : New York City & Cold Spring Oct 2001 : New York City Aug 2001 : Ely & Norfolk Jul 2001 : Kent & Sussex Jul 2001 : The Cambridge Folk Festival Jun 2001 : Jamaica May 2001 : Bath Apr 2001 : Dublin Mar 2001 : Chatel, France Jan 2001 : South Africa Sep 2000 : Syria, Jordan & Israel Jul 2000 : The Cambridge Folk Festival May 2000 : Krakow, Poland Apr 2000 : South America Mar 2000 : Lanzarote Feb 2000 : Chatel, France Feb 2000 : Hamburg Oct 1999 : Krakow, Poland Jul 1999 : The Cambridge Folk Festival May 1999 : Bahrain

Oct 1998 : Bahrain Jul 1998 : The Cambridge Folk Festival May 1998 : Cornwall, Devon and Somerset Feb 1998 : Breckenridge, USA Oct 1997 : The Cotswolds Aug 1997 : Upstate New York Jun 1997 : Australia & New Zealand May 1997 : Wales Mar 1997 : Peak District Jan 1997 : Hawaii Nov 1996 : America Oct 1996 : Madrid Jun 1996 : Paris Apr 1996 : Scotland Mar 1996 : Val D'Isere, France Aug 1995 : Novoli, Italy Aug 1995 : Winchester & Corfe Castle Jul 1995 : USA coast-to-coast Jun 1995 : Dublin Mar 1995 : Val Thorens, France Oct 1994 : Corfu Aug 1994 : Paris Apr 1994 : Verbier, Switzerland Mar 1994 : Pal, Andorra Jan 1994 : Zurich Dec 1993 : Bahrain Oct 1993 : Malta Aug 1993 : Paris Mar 1993 : Bahrain Late 1992 : Crete ???? : Courcheval 1850, France Aug 1990 : The European Tour Xmas 1987 : Les Deux Alpes, France Summer 1987, +88?, +89? : Javea, Spain ???? : Val Cenis, France Xmas 1986 : Puy StVincent, France Summer 1986 (approx) : Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia Winter 1983 (approx) : Trafoi, Italy Summer 1979 : Kenya

The "Country Count" Map :

Click here to create your own map.

The Google Maps display :

View Larger Map from Google

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A walk in the countryside (along the Basingstoke Canal, and around Odiham) with Dodo, Chico, Michael, Linda and myself. Click here for a detailed route at Google Maps.

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A long weekend visit for Rebecca's 18th birthday !! Saturday night was the surprise party at the Ali Baba restaurant, with belly dancing. Sunday was the bike ride (Bex, Zach, Andrew and Dave). Tuesday was the last ever school run !

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A four day break... after the big day ! Castrocara is a wonderful place to relax and wind-down, and the Hotel Grand Terme is wonderfully spacious, in a colonial way. Highly recommended.

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• Our rep (Christine) was very helpful and keen. This was her first season, and she was very focussed and hard-working.

• Thomson would only arrange car hire with Europe Car, and their is obviously commission being earnt there. The prices are significantly higher than local independent car hire companies. Also, despite clarifying the prices very carefully with Thomson, the actual price charged by Europe Car was higher - they added VAT to the insurance.

• Location - near several good restaurants, pleasant 20min beachfront walk to the old town, 3min walk to the beach
• Staff are friendly, especially at reception.
• Across the road is a very well stocked supermarket - a small punnet of excellent strawberries was E0.75 (50p), and quality hams and cheeses sliced to order at the deli.
• Good shutters and door to the balcony.
• Close to the Wednesday market.

• Breakfast is bad - typical ultra-cheap breakfast buffet. No toaster, no eggs, no fruit juice. No hot food at all. Coffee, yoghourts and ham of low quality.
• TV channels are in Italian (and a couple in German).
• The fridge has a notice on it (in English only) saying they will remove any item guests place in it - it is only to be used as a mini-bar. The fridge has four small mini-bar bottles in it, and loads of room for other items.

• Saturday
  Dinner at Daps - Dave had Pizza with mussels
• Sunday
  Walked around Alghero old town. Lunch at Ristorante Pizza Bella Napoli - Dave had mussels, Linda had buffalo mozzarella and ham, and we shared a pizza. Dinner at Les Arenes (Pizza al metro) - Dave had gnochhetti, Linda had mussels marinieri.
• Monday
  Driving tour to Stintino including Lago Baratz. Breakfast in our hotel room - focacia with cured ham and emental. Lunch by the each - strawberries, shortbread, banana, tomatoes. Dinner at Les Arenes (Pizza al metro) - we shared mussels marinieri and half metre of pizza.
• Tuesday
  One of the most beautiful coast roads anywhere - the drive to Bosa. We lunched at a cafe in Bosa (which was not very good). Franc (Giofranco) gave us a tour of various cafes and bars, the marina, beach and his field where he has recently planted vines (it will be 2 or 3 years before there is wine).
• Wednesday
  We walked around the weekly market in Alghero, just metres from our hotel. Then we walked around the old town. Dinner at Les Arenes (Pizza al metro) - we shared a grilled fish plattter, then Linda had a local dessert called Seadas (a large ravioli with cheese, deep fried with honey on top).
• Thursday
  Sightseeing and hill climbing at Capo Cassio, with our proscuito and foccacia sandwiches by the sea, before the tour of Grotta di Nettune. The caves are impressive, although the tour is short and does not do justice to the spectacle. A brief stop at beach we came across on the way back - where Linda had her first siesta. Back at the hotel, we brought in tartufo from the supermarket across the street ! Dinner at the Santa Cruz restaurant on the beach, where the house white was very drinkable and the spaghetti with seafood was very good.
• Friday
  We drove up to Porte Torres, then along the coast to Castelsardo, including a stop at the huge beach at Platamona. We drove back inland (probably through Santa Maria Coghinas and Perfugas), through the hills to Sassari.

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A weekend break visiting Mona & Meeten in Perth. The highlight was a glorious drive through the Scottish Lowlands around Loch Tay, Loch (this) and Loch (that). Need to check with M&M which Lochs we did see ! A return journey with more time to get hiking is a must.

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We had 2 fantastic apartments on the beach. Most of the cooking and chilling out were done in the bigger apartment complete with a pool table and heated pool. The beach was right outside.

The trip was primarily for everyone to get together and catch up so there was minimal travelling, apart from the obligatory "spending a day at a factory outlet in America" and trips to the supermarket. Plenty of cooking, good food and good company. Fantastic steak, fish, salads, key lime pies, omelettes, smoothies (laced or virgin), sushi, corn curry, minced lamb curry, prawn curry...

Long walks along the beach...water fights in the pool (including an incident involving various forms of fruit being thrown from the balcony into the pool)...dips in the sea...spotting dolphins, herons, pelicans...

For those who were there....

YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!!! ;)

Everyone would agree that it was a fantastically relaxing weekend with much fond memories.

(It was a shock to the system when we came back to a -2C morning in London (and went straight back to work); and Linda's parents were "stranded" in Las Vegas for 2 days because of flight cancellations.)

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Google Maps : Indian Rocks Beach

It was Dave's second trip with Tapestry Holidays and its reputation for off the beaten track locations did not disappoint.

Bad planning and last-minute rushes seem to be our trademark. To cut a long story short, the planned pick-up from Waterloo on Friday, leisurely drive to the Glen and chill before leaving on Sunday did not really materialise. We ended up arriving at the Glen at 2am on Saturday morning, went straight to raid the fridge before grabbing a couple of hours' rest. Spent Saturday winding down, laundry and packing before an early drop-off on Sunday.

Arrived!
We arrived into a 25C afternoon at Dalaman Airport, boarded an air-conditioned minibus and began the 1.5 hour drive to our cottage at the Kaya Valley. The cottage, the Granary, is one of three delightfully restored cottages in the valley. (website)

It has a fantastic front courtyard complete with breakfast table and sun beds - and 9 resident cats and kittens. The fridge was well-stocked with what we immediately needed (cheese, butter, bottled water, milk) and a welcome basket with bread and biscuits before we could make it to the local market. The jeep was delivered shortly after our arrival.

click to view map

The Kaya Valley lies a 20-minute drive between the harbour town of Fethiye and Oludeniz. It is quiet, relaxing and unspoilt. Ruins littered all over the village. The locals were friendly and tolerated with good humour our attempt in speaking Turkish. Hisaranu is a nearby town totally catered for tourists (predominantly British). It is grossly commercialised but unfortunately necessary for changing money amongst other things.

We had our first dinner at the Istanbul Restaurant in the "village centre", sat on the Turkish mats (which we came to regret later). We were served a fresh homemade loaf to start and that was heavenly. We clearly had no idea how generous the portions were in Turkey and ordered way too much. And...we didn't know there would be fruit and coffee on the house before we were allowed to get the bill! We drove back to the cottage very content.

Monday We got up the next day with just enough time to rush to the Tapestry "welcome reception" before heading to Hisaranu to change money as well as visit the Monday market. Linda had her first "guzelme" (pancake with cheese and spinache) and fell in love. We also bought nuts and semi-dried figs. We then headed for Gemiler Beach and lay on the sunbeds to read and relax. The beach was small and stony but quiet except for the jet-skis and ice-cream man on a speedboat. We chilled out for the rest of the day - contemplated getting into the water but decided against it. Came back and had dinner at a restaurant called Cin Bal (website). Apparently it was a butchery turned restaurant and serves lamp chops cut from hanging racks and we cooked our food on a barbeque. Dinner for two was an amazing £8.75 per head.

Tuesday It rained all day. We started at the Tuesday Market at Fethiye - a weekly market selling everything from touristy stuff like pre-packaged spices to homemade baklava to fresh eggs to everyday vegetables. We strolled along the market in the pouring rain munching grilled corn on the cob. Stopped for a bite at one of the many guzelme stands. Linda tried her hand in making a couple of them and we watched bemused as they were served to other customers. As it was still raining, we thought we would head to Tlos and hope that the weather would clear by the time we got there. Errrhhh... no! It kept on pouring... and we kept on driving. The plan was to hug the coast and drive back towards Kaya from the south, through Oludeniz. We were 65% of the way there before we were stopped by a local to tell us that the road to Oludeniz was closed! There was no other way but to drive back the way we came...this time, mostly downhill...

We came back to Fethiye and had dinner by the marina. Stuffed - as expected - and had to walk the great meal off along the marina. Got back almost midnight just to find out that the cleaner had locked us out!! Lucky for the Tapestry 24-hour emergency contact and our neighbour.

Wednesday After the downpour on Tuesday, Wednesday was cloudless. A beach day it was and off to Oludeniz! The Oludeniz main beach is on most of the postcards. We opted for the lagoon and ended up on the last stretch of the private beach. Guzelme for lunch (what else?!?) before we took out 2 kayaks and headed out into the lagoon.

After a relaxing day, we decided that we would try the famous local kuzu tandir (lamb stew). First stop was another local restaurant called Oba Evi and had to walk out as they didn't have it. Walked into Levissi Wine Bar and had their version of lamb casserole instead. The wine was great but the food a bit disappointing. Headed back, a bit tipsy...and spotted that the local barber shop was still open. Well...what is a Turkish holiday without a Turkish haircut? Dave had his hair clipped, had a shave and a massage...Linda got a massage on the house too...

Thursday Spent the whole day out at sea. Read, drank coffee, read, drank coffee, ate, slept, drank coffee...Dave picked up the courage and had a dip in the "very cold" water. Came back and had dinner at the local Kinali restaurant (2 minutes from the cottage). We were the only customers but the nice young couple who own the restaurant started the fire and grill. We had fantastic chips (made from freshly cut potatoes), tons of cheese rolls, sis kebap, tomato salad, aubergine salad and kofte.

Friday Planned a hike to Oludeniz through the Kaya Koyu ruins. But since we didn't start until about midday and it was really hot...we hiked through part of the ruins to the chapel and turned back and went back to laze in the courtyard. The sun cooled off around 5 and Dave decided to finish what we started. Linda stayed back with the kittens that had come to hang around the courtyard regularly. Went back to Cin Bal for dinner and were delighted to find that they did kusu tandir!

Saturday Another sunny day and we decided to go to the further Kidrak Beach, about 10 minutes from Oludeniz. It was much deserted and we had a good afternoon lying on sunbeds, dipped in the sea, and chilled out. Dinner at Kinali again - gave the Fethiye fish market a miss. Gotta pack!

Sunday Long day at the airport. Flight delayed...:(

We indulgently ate out every night. Dave was in carnivore heaven as the local lamb/mutton was absolutely fantastic. Linda fell in love with the Guzelmes. The resident cats and kittens were delightful. It was a much-needed break!

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Dave's 6th year and Linda's first (and perhaps last!).

Weather was less than ideal but it was nevertheless a very welcomed 4-day break of doing as much or as little as we felt like. We, as expected, followed the path of least resistance...we slept, ate, drank, ate, drank, slept more, read a bit, listened to some music, ate, drank, slept some more...

Not very sure if Linda was impressed enough to consider returning next year. She had been taunted by friends since the news broke that she was going camping. She did brave the "toilet" and "shower" situation with good courage and spirit. The presence of "real" coffee, internet access, henna tatoos, spicy fries with garlic mayo and the 50 glow-sticks each night on the tree which we camped under also scored some points.

The whole group (15 in total) "escaped" the camp-site on Friday to catch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and had lunch at Nando's. Dave then had a Cambridge-style hair-cut in a local barber shop.

But I would walk 500 miles And I would walk 500 more Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles To fall down at your door

Got back on Sunday and spent the next couple of days eating nothing but salads!
 

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An olympic feat of bad planning and incompetent scheduling resulted in absolutely no sleep at all on Friday night, before the 7am EasyJet flight out of Luton. Not surprising that we both slept through the entire flight! At Madrid airport we purchased the obligatory 10 ticket tube-and-bus pass (just EUR5.80 - about 40p per trip). Three stops on the tube got us to Mar De Cristal, where a taxi got us to our hotel in 10 minutes. This was all planned - taking the Metro to the hotel would have meant going right into the centre and changing several times. Two to three hours of sleep at the hotel gave us enough energy to head into town.

Our first stop was a two-hour stroll around Retiro Park, a large and varied park that is my favourite Madrid haunt. Then we walked up to Sol and the Plaza Mayor, stopping at one of the many Museo De Jamon cafes (literally Museum of Ham). We had our first (but not last) taste of chorizo and spanish ham.
A hot chocolate and expresso (both excellent) at Plaza Mayor kept us going, and warmed me up before the evening meal. The hot chocolate is incredibly thick here - it's great.

Later, after finding two target restaurants were closed, we ate at Casa Botín (website) - the oldest restaurant in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records, opened in 1725 and also featured in Hemingway’s "The Sun also Rises". Linda had a huge plate of spanish hams and dried meat, followed by baby squids in their own ink. I had morcilla from Burgos, followed by suckling pig (my first ever) which is the restaurant's speciality dish. All washed down with a pitcher of sangria.

Finally a run down Gran Via chasing a 146 - our bus back to the hotel.

Sunday 27th March
A late start with lunch (or breakfast!) at a local cafe called Nebraska (near Plaza de Espana) - Nebraska is a chain but we seemed to be the only tourists. It seems that they have very different items on the English menu. I decided on the cod with leek sauce and Linda the obligatory Spanish tortilla. The meal was nicely finished off with yet another thick hot chocolate and cafe solo.

We then headed through Plaza de Espana and into XXX park. We had planned to head up to Park Del Oeste, but at the teleferico, we decided to just buy a one-way ticket over to Casa De Campo, a very large and somewhat hilly park. From Casa del Campo, we walked down to Lago and hired a rowing boat where we showed up the locals with our two-synchronised-rowers technique (probably a technical term for that). Relaxed with a carton of sangria and chips in our little boats, between bouts of frantic rowing. A tube back to Plaza de Espana and a tapas restaurant (Canas Y Tapas) we spied earlier for dinner.

The other event of the day was playing a dancing game in an amusement arcade aptly called Piccadilly. Linda had spied these before, in the UK, but would only indulge herself in a city where she would not be recognised, and if I joined in too. She definitely beat me, but I was catching up. Our attempts at an air hockey competition were thwarted up an incredibly dangerous and badly engineered air hockey table - the disk went flying off in random directions, at speed, whenever you gave it more than a gentle kiss.

Monday 28th March
Another late start and we eventually made it to the railway station (Atoche Renfe) only to find the trains to Toledo were far more sparse than we had counted on. Plan B then was to have a picnic (got mainly fresh fruit from El Corte Ingles) and walked through Parque Del Oeste for several hours. The sun eventually shone through, brightening our spirits, to the extent that we started playing pooh-sticks along the stream. Then a string of tapas bars and restaurants...

First stop was Casa Labra (in calle Tetuan). There are only 3 tapas on the menu but this included the fabulous Tajeda? De Bacalao (cod in batter).
website : www.casalabra.es

Then we headed to a former Goya hangout called Bodega de La Ardosa (13 Calle Colón) and thanks to the very helpful and bilingual bar staff, we actually knew what we were ordering...

• Pincho de tortilla - very good
• Fabes con calamares (beans with squid in its own ink) - not that good
• Croquetes carabinero (lobster) and Cabrales (cheese) - neither any good

Bus back to the hotel as usual.

Tuesday 29th March We had breakfast at a La Quinta (a basic cafeteria right next to the hotel), then I went off to work. Linda hit madrid, visiting Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (very good), Museo Del Prado (so-so) and went sunbathing at the Jardin Botaniquo (very good indeed). Then chilled in a seriously cool hideaway (only if soft jazz is your thing) called Salon De Prado (4 Calle Prado, opens 2PM to 2AM). As Dave was held up at work long past the agreed meeting time, the poor Linda was stranded and thus forced to go shopping. Re-united, Linda and I turned to the proven AA CITYPack for Madrid. This guide had shown itself to be very reliable at finding places to visit and eat at. This time we headed for Salvador (12 Calle Barbieri). This was another great call. We had fantastic starters : chorizo frito and morcillo de Burgos (yes, again!). The red wine (Marques de Valparaiso, Ribero del Duero 1999) was heavy and smooth. The walls were adorned with pictures and everything about bull-fighting. The waiter did not speak English but was very eager to show us where Burgos is on a map.

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And we looked forward to trying the restaurant's speciality - oxtail - according to the trusted AA Citypack. Well...this proved to be complete bollocks, possibly ox bollocks, but it turned out to be fishy bollocks. Yes, the speciality, which was very good, was a fish dish, which could have been a tail cross-section under the batter, but most definitely of the subaqua persuasion.

Wednesday 30th March
Early start as I had to get to work and we had the usual breakfast at La Quinta.

Linda's plan to visit Toledo was thwarted again by the infrequent trains. As the weather was beautiful, Linda had a good couple of hours reading a book and people-watching at Plaza Mayor before tumbling onto the Mercado de San Miguel (website), a local market right outside of Plaza Mayor. People at the market were extremely friendly and Linda even succeeded in buying a clay dish for cooking chorizo with her broken Spanish and plentiful sign-language.

After sitting down for some fantastic paella, the rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around the small streets of Madrid and the classic "put the map away and bump around".

We met up at the airport for the 9:30pm flight back to Luton. We had the worst meal on our trip at the airport restaurant (la Restaurante Retiro) (surprise!) and our flight was delayed.

We got back eventually...the trip was a good mix of work and pleasure.

Useful websites:
Madrid Metro map
Spanish / English Food Dictionary

Google Maps : Retiro Park  

401 game won by Dave 501 game won by Dave (again!) 201 game, abandoned with Linda at 40 Dave at 123. Found ourselves at the pub AGAIN the next evening. Since the scores were still on the board, we picked up the game again and Linda finished with double 2 ... her first ever (hopefully not the last) win!

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Saturday 26th February
Walked around the grounds of Eastnor Castle - saw wild hares, partridges and the castle and lake.
Had to ignore the closed sign at the entrance (sorry).
Then lunch in Ledbury at the Marketplace Cafe - pannini with chorizo, hot chocolate and a large ploughman's platter. Linda's first ploughman's (outside of a sandwich).
Walk through Eastnor deer park and caught briefly in the rain. Did manage to see some deer!
We had a take-away Indian meal from the Bengal Lancer, a two months old new addition to a nearby local village pub (The Old Neighbourhood Inn).
It was great fun driving through narrow country roads and villages following a hand-drawn map (courtesy of a friend of the cottage owner). We had an excellent king prawn dupiaza. There was some very atrocious spelling on the takeaway menu!

Sunday 27th February
Lunch at the Butcher's Arms - excellent top-side of beef with all the trimmings (especially Yorkshire puds) and plenty of gravy. Met a pilot (friend of owner of cottage) who could take 4 "friends" in a small plane for sightseeing runs.
Visited Bath (Abbey and town) on the way back.

Contact Details of Cottage Owner:
John and Anne Carter
Foxfield, Oakridge Lynch, Stroud, Glos. GL6 7NX
tel: 01285 760791
email: john@foxfield66.freeserve.co.uk
Booking made through : http://www.uk-holiday-cottages.co.uk
 

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• Margaritas with Ruth in Tampa (with sea view)
• Playing with Charlie the cat (with the remote control mouse, and being chased around the kitchen and lounge)
• Air-boat ride with R+R (getting very close to the alligators... and cows !!)
• Clothes shopping for the girls in Coco Village
• Pizza for dinner and breakfast (are we students again ?)
• Shopping for knitting supplies for Bex
• Huge plate of chicken limbs (eaten outside)
• Games evening at Matt & Joan Spears' - including Bonko (a dice game for all ages), pool (on an excellent table, with hands instead of cues) and many hours of poker.
• Seeing Ruth and Charlie's bed-making ritual.
• Breakfast in the sunshine on the patio with Ruth and Manfred.
• A fayre at ??? with R, R and M and Amy & Chris, Mark & Christine and Scott & Louise.
• Pool and darts at The British Pub.
• Chris's first chess game at The British Pub (where Amy managed to stalemate him). (Photo to come)
• The occasional Jammie Dodger from Ruth's limited and sacred supply.
• The final morning - expecting to miss the flight because I4 was so congested, then running into the airport with Bex and managing to check-in just in time.

Organisation : China Highlights Travel

Beijing Accommodation : Guangzhou Hotel. Day One : Met Bina at her 5* Hyatt before we all moved into our quite decent tourist hotel. My first Chinese meal was a pick-your-own boil-in-broth-in-a-basket fast food outlet. Day Two : Tour of The Great Wall and The Ming Tomb. We had a wonderful foot massage (just 130 yuan for 70 minutes) before the seeing a 70 minute performance at The Peking Opera, which had some truly amazing acrobatics. Day Three : Tour of Tianenmen Square, The Forbidden City (including Starbucks) and The Temple of Heaven

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Yangtze River & Three Gorges Dam Accommodation : Yangtze Paradise On our drive through Chongqing, we had a local "Hot Pot" meal, which is like a fondue, but in a choice of broth, or very hot chilli broth. My eternal thanks to Rupa for infecting my wimp broth with the super-hot chilli broth. Day Four to Six : The three day cruise down the Yangtze included excursions to see Fengdu and the Shennon Stream. The Three Gorges Dam itself was impressive, purely in terms of scale. Unfortunately it was very foggy, so our views were limited. We were driven to Yi Chang from the dam, which gave us time to visit the interesting "Three Gorges Project Museum" there.

Shanghai Accommodation : Ocean Hotel Day Seven : We had an excellent meal at a Thai restaurant called "Phuket shanghai" or similar. Tour of The Bund, Nanjing Road, Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, and the Pearl Tower. An excellent meal at "M on The Bund".

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click on image to view full size

Hong Kong Accommodation : City Garden Hotel. This was a reasonable hotel, not far from the centres, and close to the very efficient metro network. Day Eight : Tour of Victoria Peak, Stanley Market, Repulse Bay, Aberdeen Fishing Village Various shopping visits, but the only purchases made were at the markets ! Drinks at the bar on the top of the Peninsula Hotel.

Google Maps : Forbidden City (Beijing), Temple of Heavenly Peace (Beijing), Tianenmen Square (Beijing), Three Gorges Dam (Yangtze River).  

Agents. We travelled with "Touring Club of Egypt", based in Cairo, who organised a perfectly managed vacation. We heartily recommend them. At every point we were greeted by a local agent, and all transport was in a private, air-conditioned people-carriers. Local qualified guides were provided for all the sites, and additional requirements were always accommodated.
Web site : www.egyptreservation.com     Email : ehrc@egyptreservation.com
Based on prices in The Lonely Planet, most excursions could be organised cheaper yourself than with the local guide or agent. However, it is very convenient for them to organise it, and most items work out quite affordable even through the guide or agent.

Useful translation from "guide-talk" to English :
School = shop
Workshop = shop
Factory = shop
Shop = shop

Saturday. Our first expedition was a very early horse ride to the pyramids (by way of a tour of some garbage dumps). Although this was an experience, and afforded us a great sunrise view of the pyramids, I would not necessarily recommend this (unless you are keen on garbage dumps, of course). Our guide for the day was Magdy, a very knowledgeable Egyptologist. We visited Memphis, and then Sakkara, which has the original pyramid. Then on to the Gisa for the pyramids and the Sphynx. Currently, the smallest of the three large pyramids is the only you can enter. In the evening we saw (and heard) the "Sound And Light Show", which was a bit tacky, but provided some wonderful illuminated views of the pyramids and the Sphynx.
The Indian restaurant at the Mena House Hotel provided an absolutely awesome curry (eaten back in our room, as the restaurant was full... so make a booking).

Sunday. An early flight to Aswan, the transfer affording us a quick glimpse of the new High Dam, and taking over the original Aswan Dam. We stayed at The Old Cataract, where Agatha Christie wrote "Death On The Nile". A short boat trip onto an island on the Nile brought us to the Philae Temple, which was moved, and moved back, after it was flooded, and then revealed by the two dams. Lunch at The Old Cataract, overlooking the Nile is just sublime (and the sandwiches are excellent). In the late afternoon (and into the sunset), we took a felucca (sail boat) ride up and down the Nile, with a stop at "Flower Island". This we would highly recommend... it is wonderfully relaxing. Pre-dinner drinks on the terrace at The Old Cataract before an excellent meal at the Hotel restaurant called "1902" (the year the first dam was opened).

Monday. We were driven to Luxor (in the daily army-escorted convoy), with two important stops : Kom Ombo and Edfu. Both are Egyptian sites worth seeing. Arriving in Luxor, we had a quick walk around the soukh (market), which did not have much to offer. The Italian restaurant at The Sheraton was good, the only downside was that the pizzas would have been very better it they had a brick oven (see later...).

Tuesday. This was a serious Egyptian site seeing day. First we did the West bank : The Colossus of Memnom, The Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut's temple, and the colourful Habu Temple (which is not on most agendas, but worth seeing). Our guide was Hani, who we thought was brilliant.
After lunch by the pool back at the restaurant, it was time for the East bank : Karnak Temple and Luxor Palace.
There is even more to see in Luxor, and given an extra day we could have seen The Valley of the Queens and various other nearby sites.

Wednesday. We drove (again in convoy) from Luxor to Hurghada, a resort on the Red Sea, where we stayed at the Le Meridien, Makadi Bay. See below for a review of the hotel.

Thursday. Joanna was scuba diving all day. Rupa and I did an Intro Dive together, then we met up with Bina and the three of us did an amazing snorkelling session off the afternoon diving boat. It lasted over an hour (a record for me) and we saw lots of coral and very colourful fish.

Friday. Joanna was scuba diving all day again, and the rest of us were really lazy.

Saturday. Joanna stayed in Hurghada, whilst Bina, Rupa and I returned to Cairo. We visited the Cairo Museum, and its truly amazing exhibits. My favourites were (i) the 4,500 year old wooden statues, many with the original paintwork, and (ii) the spectacular Tut Ankh Amun exhibits.
Afterwards we walked around the market, and ate at Egyptian Pancakes, which has a well deserved reputation (details in all good guide books).

Recommendations to anyone planning on touring Egypt:
Agent : Touring Club of Egypt
Hotel in Cairo : being near Gisa is very useful for the pyramids and Sphynx. The Mena House was definitely close, but more 4* than its claimed 5* (the Indian restaurant was superb). However, being near the centre of Cairo is better for exploring the city.
Guide in Cairo : ask Touring Club for Magdy.
Hotel in Aswan : The Old Cataract
Guide in Luxor : ask Touring Club for Hany Rafaat (mobile: 002 010 5658065) (email : hanynomus2002@hotmail.com).
Sites to see in Luxor : As per guides, but add the Habu Temple.

Cairo : 2-3 days (we did 2)
Aswan : 1-1.5 days (we did 1)
Luxor : 2-3 days (we did 1.5)
For relaxation, an extra day in Aswan, or a few days by the Red Sea. We have been told that Sharm al-Sheih (at the tip of the Sinai peninsula) in a better destination than Hurghada.

Le Meridien Hotel, Makadi Bay
Good points :

Half-board allows evening meals from 2 restaurants, both of which are not wonderfully attractive, but luckily eating at La Trattoria is not expensive.

Google Maps : Giza Pyramids (Cairo), Sphinx (Giza), Aswan dam  

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September 2003 : Germany

Friday 6th September
Arrived at Cologne airport. Or is it Koln ? Or is it Koeln ? And what about the umlauts ?
My first trip on a German bus.
My first trip on a train in Germany (although it might have been a Swiss-made train).
My first trip on a double-decker train !!!
Stayed at the Hotel Gut Meroedgen, which was excellent. Every room is individually designed and fitted, with its own theme. http://www.Gut-Meroedgen.de
Saturday 7th September
Off to Maastricht... we filled 3 cars. We had superb mussels and chips, and later ice cream. The church in the town square was worth seeing. Then back for... My first wedding in Germany. A great event... we all agreed it was the best wedding meal we had ever had, and I learnt a little about some quirky German wedding traditions.
Sunday 8th September
Back home, with a quick city stop off at Koln, including some traditional German sausage, and ice cream. And of course, the magnificent Cathedral. The day was brilliant due to the company... thanks to Dot, Barbara, Andy, Sarah and Sam.
 

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August 2003 : Shrewsbury & Wales

Saturday 2nd August
Arrived in Shrewsbury and ate at La Trattoria in Fish Street. The "lamb shank in rosemary & balsamic gravy" was superb, and I strongly recommend it. Tel: 01743-249490
Sunday 3rd August
Drove into Wales, stops at Bala and the coast. Dinner at Aberystwyth at Harry's. Another superb meal - both the Welsh beef and the salmon with saffron were superb. www.HarrysAberystwyth.com
 

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May 2003 : Cyprus & Egypt

Cyprus
I know the island is beautiful, because many friends have told me. This holiday was a rest-and-relaxation break, so we did little travelling, except for the Egypt excursion. So most of the time was spent at the Hotel, which was "all inclusive".

Ascos Beach Hotel
Hotel Information : Ascos Beach Hotel owned by A. Tsokkos Hotels Ltd. 203 rooms, totalling 406 beds.

I was not impressed with the hotel, and would not recommend it. The basic problem was that "all-inclusive" was done as a "bare minimum". These are some of the specifics :

07:00 - 10:00 Breakfast
10:00 - 12:00 Snacks available
12:30 - 14:30 Lunch
15:00 - 18:00 Snacks available
18:30 - 21:00 Dinner
21:30 - 23:20 Snacks available

The ship staff claimed (and lied) that buying water onboard (from them) was a lot cheaper than buying it on the coach (from the local Egyptians). On the coach to Cairo, they charged : C£1 for 2 cans of soft drink, and C£1 for 4 bottles of bottled water.

Cairo
Cairo is worth seeing, and the pyramids are a "must see" for any serious traveller. We went down inside one of them, which is an amazing experience, considering their historical importance. It has certainly given me an appetite to see many more of the historical treasures in Egypt. The Cairo Museum is fantastic, and the amazing Tut-Ankh-Amun exhibition is a sight never to be forgotten.
 

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February 2003 : Madrid

Tacked on to a business trip, this was a long weekend in one of my favourite cities.
The hotel was the Hotel Santander, an OK 2-star, within walking distance of Puerta del Sol.
Hotel Santander (website), Echegaray 1, 28014 Madrid. Its on the corner of Echegaray and Carrera de San Jeronimo.
 

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April 2002 : Bath & Stone Henge

A return trip to Bath. I would recommend "A Taste Of Asia" - an excellent restaurant. Drove back through Warminster and some truly beautiful scenery in Somerset and Wiltshire.
 

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December 2001 : New York & New Jersey

December 22nd : Elmer, New Jersey : The annual Myers Christmas Dinner.
December 23rd : Edison, New Jersey : Christmas Dinner with my "family" in New Jersey. This was a rare meeting, for me, of the entire American clan.
Met up with the Paul & Helena Bould and their two boys, Sam and Tom at Rockefeller Center. Then up to Cold Springs, NY to spend Christmas Day with Sue and Andrew Hall. Bizarre for the Brits (Andrew & Dave) was going to the cinema to see "Lord of the Rings" on Christmas Day - we assume the cinemas are closed back in England !
 

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November 2001 : New York City & Cold Spring

Spent the Thanksgiving break with Sue & Andrew, and Manfred, Ruth & Rebecca in the beautiful town and surroundings of Cold Spring, just one hour north of New York. An unforgettable reunion, which included a magnificent hike through the forested hills around Cold Spring.

click on image to view full size

 

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August 2001 : Ely & Norfolk

Spent the bank holiday weekend touring. Starting with the Cathedral at Ely and its magnificent view. Then up along the Norfolk coastline, and inland. Stayed near Swanton Morley at a B&B called Hunter's Hall (01362-637841 or email), run by Castle Farm Holidays. Continued along the coast from Cromer to just inside Suffolk. A beautiful part of the country, worth a longer and more detailed return journey.
 

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July 2001 : Kent & Sussex

Starting with the village of Alfraston, for breakfast. Then on to Beachy Head, and a walk over a couple of the Seven Sisters. Up to Sissinghurst for a fantastic lunch at The Bull Inn (01580-712821). Lastly, the truly marvellous Sissinghurst Castle Gardens (search the National Trust web site).
 

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July 2001 : The Cambridge Folk Festival

My fourth Cambridge Folk Festival (web site)... definitely addicted. I was there for just under two days, so a much shorter than usual festival. Thanks to Keir for finding space in his tent. The highlight for me was when a scheduled performer was replaced by Loudon Wainwright III - one of the crowd's favourites. Great to meet up with the usual festival gang.
 

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June 2001 : Jamaica

My first visit to the Caribbean. Invited along to the Breezes Runaway Bay resort by Ian, Jane, Philippa and Tony. This was a relaxation with SCUBA diving holiday. So I took the opportunity to get qualified, and got by PADI Open Water Diver certification.
A great resort, with great people. We hooked up with Joanna and Jan from New Jersey, and had a wonderful week.
 

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May 2001 : Bath

An bank holiday weekend trip to Bath with Cosima. My first trip to this incredible beautiful historical town. The highlight was the company and the town itself, but the Roman Baths and the Abbey deserve a mention.
 

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Easter 2001 : Dublin, Eire

An Easter weekend trip to Dublin with Ian, Jane and Philippa. A good start... The Good Friday alcohol ban was averted by ordering a bottle of wine each with our meal. Saturday was a walk around the centre and then a beautiful train ride to Avoca, where Bally Kissangel is filmed. A little taster of the Irish countryside, which certainly reinforces the need to do a driving tour there. Sunday was the city centre tour, including the Guinness Storehouse, with its wonderful panoramic rooftop bar. We spent a lot of time, and had some excellent food in the Temple Bar area. We'd particularly recommend Shack's Restaurant.
 

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January 2001 : South Africa

Click here for a detailed route at Google Maps.

This ten day holiday has left us both enchanted with South Africa. It is a such a beautiful and impressive country with so much to offer a tourist. And the weather was perfect almost every day.

Cape Town. We had two packed days in and around Cape Town. We started Sunday at the flea market, then spent the afternoon wine-tasting at the Delaire vineyard near Stellenbosch. Then on for an amazing late lunch at Bijoux in Franschoek. We were back for sunset at Signal Point, and walked along the seafront at Camps Bay before a final Mohito at Balducci's bar at The Waterfront. Monday started with the cable car trip up to Table Mountain, and the short trek around the top. Then we drove around the peninsula which included Boulder's Beach (where you can swim with penguins in freezing water), Cape Point and The Cape of Good Hope (which was full of windsurfers [mad ones, as the Atlantic is ultra-freezing there]). On the way back we walked around the wonderful Kirstenbosch botanical gardens. We stayed at the Hunters Lodge guest house (web site, email), which is run by Graham Millest, who is always very helpful and full of local information.

Kirstenbosch botanical gardens      click on image to view full size

The Garden Route. Tuesday morning was the three and a half hour drive from Cape Town to Mossel Bay, which is the start of the Garden Route. So, Mossel Bay was a good place for lunch, but then we moved on and saw Victoria Bay before some shopping in George. We had yet another great meal at La Cantina at The Fancourt, George.
Wednesday started with a lovely outdoor breakfast in Outshorn, then a tour (and climb) at the Cango Caves, which include very impressive limestone formations that are 1.5 million years old. Then the dirt track over the mountains via the Swartberg Pass, delivering us to Prins Albert for an outdoor lunch (with milkshakes). The return through the mountains via the Meringsport Pass was possibly even more picturesque. We headed on the Knysna, and saw the sun set at Brenton-on-Sea.
On Thursday we arrived at Plettenberg Bay, and spent the day sunbathing on Central Beach and swimming in the Indian Ocean. We took a boat trip with Ocean Safaris that included lots dolphins and seals. In winter the trip the trip would have included whales, but it was summer, and you have to be luckier than we were.
We stayed at a lovely family run B&B called Sunbird, that we would heartily recommend. The price is more reasonable that the guest houses, and the quality of service is matched only by the view. Tel : 044-53-33340.
On Friday we stopped at the wonderfully picturesque Nature's Valley on the way to the Tsitsikamma National Park. We went on two hikes, the first to the lookout point high up over the suspension bridge, and the other the 6km round trip to the waterfall. That evening we left The Garden Route and arrived at Port Elizabeth.

Game Drive at Drifters Lodge      click on image to view full size

Drifters Game Lodge. A couple of flights gets us to Hoedspruit airport, where Quentin met us and took us to the Drifters Game Lodge (web site, email). The Lodge is a perfect blend of outdoor tent living with the luxury of an en-suite bathroom, and the added bonus of an private but outdoor shower. And food is unbelievable - Louise is a magician of a chef, providing 5-star food with a truly personal attention to detail that only a passion for cooking can give. That first day Quentin took us on our first game drive. On Sunday we had the standard morning game walk and an afternoon game drive. On Monday we had the full day at the Kruger National Park, and Tuesday morning there was time for a final game walk before we left. Over the three days we saw jackals harrying impala, crocodiles, a pack of seven wild dogs (South Africa's most endangered predator), distant buffalo, hippos, elephants, wildebeest, steenbuck, kudu, waterbuck, zebra, giraffe, eagles, vultures and storks. We saw lion tracks but only a very distant glimpse of an actual lion (we were unlucky there).

 

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September 2000 : Syria, Jordan & Israel

Click here for a detailed route at Google Maps.

Syria : Damascus, Elepo, Lake Assad, Palmyra
Jordan : Amman, Petra, the Wadi Rum desert, Aquaba
Israel : the Dead Sea, Jerusalem
A jam-packed 10.5 days, constantly moving, but managing to see so many sights in our short time allowance. As well as being a sight-seeing holiday, and an insight into a new culture, this holiday was an education. A visit to the Middle East (especially Jerusalem) tells you more about the conflict there than CNN or the BBC can every relate.

We started in Amman, capital of Jordan, but left for Damascus, capital of Syria, the first morning.
Damascus has a large and bustling souk, and the central mosque is worth seeing. However, The Raquaya Mosque (the new one) is amazing. As with most mosques, it is open to everyone, and the ceiling is made of thousands of little mirrors.
We took a local bus up to Elepo, in olden times a huge trading centre (mentioned twice by Shakespeare). The main attraction here was the souk, which was less bustling, and had far more charm that the one in Damascus.
The next day we visited one of the "bee-hive" villages, and then Qala'at Ja'abar at Lake Assad. This is a beautiful and unspoilt lake in the middle of desert. We then headed down to Palmyra, possible the most extensive Roman site in the Middle East.
After a morning walk around the Temple Of Bel at Palmyra, then took the bus back to Damascus, and got a car all the way down to Petra, back in Jordan.

The Wadi Rum desert      click on image to view full size

At first light, we enter Petra. It is a truly amazing site, and very extensive. There is a lot more to Petra than the famous carving from "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". The treks up to the Monastery and to the High Place are definitely worth it. Late in the afternoon we moved on to Wadi Rum, a beautiful area of rocky dessert, most famous as the setting for a lot of "Lawrence of Arabia". We saw the sunset, and then spent the evening and night under the stars with a local Bedouin family, gazing up at the Milky Way. After a morning jeep-tour of the Wadi Rum desert, we moved on to the Red Sea resort of Aquaba, for a day and a half of rest and relaxation. The Royal Jordanian Diving Centre provided a warm (salty!) pool, and an excellent coral reef for snorkelling.

We entered Israel (at Eilat), and got a bus up to the Dead Sea. Floating in the Dead Sea was great... my expectation was low, but it was really good fun. We met a local Jewish Indian called Bensi, who invited us to spend the afternoon at his hotel, which just happened to be the 5-star Golden Tulip. So we had a wonderful afternoon in the pool there. In the early evening, we took a bus up to Jerusalem and had a short evening walk around the Old City. We spent a day and half in Jerusalem, including a walking tour of the Old City, the "Time Elevator" ride, Mount Zion (Schindler's grave is there) and the Muslim quarter of the Old City. Then we headed back to Jordan and I had my little border problem. Despite what every other Jordan border had told me, you cannot enter Jordan at the King Hussein bridge (unless you left there, which we had not). My cousins had a multiple-entry visa, so were OK. Well, after having the rules explained to me by the locals, then put me on the phone to a Jordanian general, who again explained the rules, but then wanted to talk about England (we was going on about Bradford for some reason). Anyway, they let me through, I think because I was obviously an idiot tourist, and they would rather have me spending my money in Jordan than in Israel.

Jerusalem      click on image to view full size

We had our "Last Supper" at an excellent Arabic restaurant in Amman, had a drink and dance at a nearby bar, and a few hours later were flying home.

Google maps : Dead Sea (Israel and Jordan), Aquaba, Jordan, Wadi Rum, Jordan

 

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July 2000 : The Cambridge Folk Festival

My third Cambridge Folk Festival.... and I'm still hooked. This year was special because my friends from Bahrain came along too. The most memorable act was a brilliant performance by Tony Benn MP !!!
 

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May 2000 : Krakow, Poland

A return business trip to Krakow has given me another chance to indulge in the atmosphere of this wonderful city. I really am a huge fan of Krakow now. Summer was approaching, and the girls were even more distracting than last time. The main problem is that they all smoke.
This trip I did the usual walks around the central square, and the castle. I also saw the famous Da Vinci painting the Cartovskiskiski (spelling?) museum.
The restaurant at the hotel was Afrikaans !!! Maybe a sign that South Africa should be next ?
Google maps : Krakow

 

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April 2000 : South America

This was an amazing two week tour of Chile, Argentina and Brazil, starting and ending in New York. I was travelling with Rupa, an American cousin who arranged everything. One thing that you learn from touring is that the cultures of the South American countries are very different. For example, I would say the Chileans are very friendly, the Argentineans are incredibly helpful and proud, and the Brazilians are lively and fun-loving.
New York. I arrived in NY 24 hours before the tour started. Highlights were fixing Rupa's computer and Mohitos (Brazilian drink served with lots of mint). Then it was bye to Bina, as Rupa and I flew off to South America (in theory).
Miami. Due to a missed connection, we had an unscheduled day in Miami. This was great for me... as I had never been before. We sent to South Beach, and walked around. The beach was perfect, and the water amazingly warm. Back at the airport, we ended up spending our $30 of food vouchers at Burger King... no mean feat.
Santiago, Chile. Here we met up with Preeti, another cousin, based in London. We toured around, went up the funicular and down the telecabine, etc. Santiago has a great diversity of architecture - aging and dilapidated buildings border very modern skyscrapers, and there are colonial-style buildings everywhere. Our hotel room had been upgraded to a "presidential suite", so we partook of the private jacuzzi.
Puerto Mont and Puerto Varas, Chile. These towns are at the starting point of the Chilean lakes, and close to the temperate rainforest. The fish market as Puerto Mont has a real eye-opener.

Alerce National Park

Chilean rainforest hike. This was a day-trip organised by Eco Travel (based in Puerto Varas) to the Alerce National Park. An amazing hike through the temperate rainforest eventually ended at an idyllic lake high in the mountains. It was a truly spiritual space - a still lake in a volcanic crater, capped by clouds. It felt magical and secret. Jorge was our guide, and he is working on a web site for Eco Travel (tel: Puerto Varas 233222, and I think the code is +56-65).

Alerce National Park

Lake crossing from Chile to Argentina. This route from Puerto Varas in Chile to Bariloche in Argentina involves four coaches, and 3 separate lake crossings. The first stop is at the Petrohue waterfalls. You cross the Andes, and the scenery during the boat trips is amazing. We stopped in the middle for a night at the lakeside village of Puella which is in the most picturesque valley setting and walked up to the "Cascada De Novia" waterfall. The first meal we had in Argentina, famed throughout the world for the quality of its beef, was a very unimpressive deep-fried breaded beef dish !! Google Maps : Bariloche

Andes Lake Crossing      click on image to view full size

Bariloche, Argentina. This is a skiing resort, and we were there for the Easter weekend. The town was incredibly lively, with chocolate shops everywhere, displaying more, and larger, Easter eggs than you can imagine. Rupa introduced my to Hazelnut ice cream, which the modern world needs to wake up to !!!!
Buenos Aires, Argentina. We had no expectations of BA, and we were left stunned. It is an amazing city. There are many, many parks to walk around. And lively pedestrian shopping streets (see Florida Avenue). And street entertainers everywhere. We spent a lot of time in Recoleta - during the day and in the evening. And then there was La Boca, a completely different part of BA, where the Tango originates from, and where there are street performances for the public. We also went to one of the Tango shows. The Puerto Madero area is also great to walk around. And the San Telmo flea market (Sundays only) was wonderful.
Iguacu Falls. Note - there are many spellings of Iguacu/Iguazu/Iguassu. The Iguacu falls are an amazing set of waterfalls on the Brazilian-Argentinean border, and also close to the border with Paraguay. They attract over 800,000 visitors a year - and they are worth it. They are truly spectacular. The best view is from the Brazilian side, where you can take a track down to the base of (and almost into) the waterfall.
Rio De Janeiro. Well, Rio has beaches, and that is what we were there for. We spent most of our time on Copa Cabana, as our hotel was only 2 blocks away. We rented bikes one day and cycled to the far side of Ipanema beach. NOTE : never rent a bike that has a flat tyre when retrieved from storage - it probably has a slow puncture (as one of ours did). We had a fantastic meal at Mariu's - the waiters move around the restaurant with different meats on skewers, and cut pieces off for you. The entire meal was excellent, and the beef was the best I had ever had.
Google maps : Copacabana Beach, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

 

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March 2000 : Lanzarote

My first holiday with my entire immediate family (parents and brother) for 20 years ! We had a relaxing week in the sun, frequently punctuated by seafood. Took a ferry over to Fuerte Ventura, and had a memorable walk over the truly vast sand dunes behind the beach.
 

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February 2000 : Hamburg

Not actually a holiday, but a business trip. However, worth a mention because I used Eurotunnel for the first time, drove on an Autobahn for the first time and ended up travelling in 5 countries (UK, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany). A total of 1300 miles.
Highlights were : Sleeping through the entire train journey back (ie Eurotunnel), and eventually getting home (at 3am).
 

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October 1999 : Krakow, Poland

Krakow is a truly beautiful city. And the girls are fantastic (except that they ALL smoke). And I was there in the winter. I hear that in the summer, skirt lines rise, and its difficult for us guys to concentrate on anything.
Auschwitz
Auschwitz is a unique experience, and not one that can be related. Its a personal experience - you cannot be told what it is like, you have to go yourself, and see how it affects you.
I suggest going alone, not in a guided tour. Its better not to feel rushed, and to take it at your own pace. Make sure you visit both camps there.
Salt Mines
A local tourist destination, and a worthy one in my experience. These are vast caves, and what you see down below is really quite amazing. Best down as a half-day guided tour from Krakow.
 

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July 1999 : The Cambridge Folk Festival

My second Cambridge Folk Festival.... and just as good as the first. I seem to be addicted. My favourite singer was Loudon Wainwright III.
 

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May 1999 : Bahrain

click on image to view full size

My fourth trip to Bahrain, and another chance to see how tall Rebecca has grown... Wonderful weather as usual. I enjoy visiting Ruth and Rebecca so much, I don't even mind getting up ridiculously early for the school run !

 

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October 1998 : Bahrain

A return (after five years) to the Middle East. October is a wonderful time to go - its hot, but not too hot (don't go in July !!). As you can see, it was Halloween, and we had great fun dressing up... This was a return to see Ruth and Rebecca, my two girls in the Middle East. Highlights were : Trick or Treating on Halloween, Big Joe Turner's Jazz Band, Dilstock (the Dilman Club's annual version of Woodstock), but mainly very quality time with very special friends.

click on image to view full size

 

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July 1998 : The Cambridge Folk Festival

Not exactly a long way for me, but a unique experience as this was my first Folk Festival. I doubt it will be my last - it was great fun. Everyone is relaxed yet lively.
Highlights were The Levellers, and "sitting in the sunshine with a cider, playing games with friends and listening to good music".
 

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May 1998 : Cornwall, Devon and Somerset

Cheddar, Dartmoor, Looe, Polperro, St Michael's Mount, Newquay, Padstow, Port Isaac and Tintagel. A bank holiday tour of the south-west of England for Rebeka, Lucia, Goff and myself. Only three days but we covered so much, and totalled 800 miles. The Cheddar Gorge has some incredibly spectacular sights, although the area has been spoilt by the overwhelming commercial efforts to attract tourists. The prices for entering the caves are also very off-putting. Polperro, Padstow and Looe are much better examples of how towns can retain their charm whilst catering for tourists. We would certainly recommend The Atlantic Lodge, a bed and breakfast in Newquay. St Michael's Mount is definitely worth a visit, especially if the weather is fine.

click on image to view full size

 

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October 1997 : The Cotswolds

Bourton-on-the-Water, Lower and Upper Slaughter, Naunton, Temple Guitin, Stanton, Stanway, Broadway, Chipping Campden and the gardens of Blenheim Palace.
A quick tour of Oxford, the Cotswolds and London for Bina and Neha (a cousin and friend from New York) with Binta, Preeti and Ameet (3 more cousins). Other highlights were Freid's in Oxford, and then to London for dinner at Wagamama's and Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband at the Geilgud Theatre.
 

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August 1997 : Upstate New York

A very packed half-week with rarely seen friends for a wedding in Olive Bridge, near Woodstock. Warm weather and some wonderful scenery. We spent a day by one of the lakes, and then found a Celtic festival, where we developed our own unique Irish dancing.
 

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June 1997 : Australia & New Zealand

Click here for a detailed route at Google Maps.

This was Dominic's and my first trip to Australia and New Zealand. And we had three weeks....
Australia : Cairns, Port Douglas, Uluru (Ayres Rock), The Olgas, Kings Canyon, Coober Pedy, Sydney
New Zealand : Wellington, Mt Ruapehu

Cairns. The highlights of Cairns were Scuba diving (a first) off the Great Barrier Reef, and trips into the rainforest. Cairns does not have a nearby beach, but makes up for it with lots of excursions and tours. We knocked up a night-time wildlife search, two scuba dives, the rainforest treetop cable-car and the Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Port Douglas. Highlights here were the Nautilus restaurant, The Rainforest Habitat and Four-Mile Beach. The Nautilus is a brilliant restaurant, and a must if ever you're in Port Douglas. The Rainforest Habitat has a excellent and wide selection of Australian wildlife. On Four-Mile beach, I drank and ate coconut from one we found on the beach and (eventually) managed to break open.

The Olgas click on image to view full size

Uluru. We stayed at the Ayres Rock Resort, which is only 30 minutes from Ayres Rock. Alice Springs looks close on the maps, but those Australian maps have huge scales. Alice is about 5 hours from Ayres Rock. On our first day we took a one-day tour to Kings Canyon. Spectacular. On our second and third days we rented a car and did The Olgas and Ayres Rock. Both spectacular. At The Olgas, the Valley of the Winds is a must, and at Ayres Rock, the base walk is. Google Maps : Ayres Rock, The Olgas, Sydney Opera House

Coober Pedy. A one day tour of the town and surrounding area. Coober Pedy is where 85% of the world's opals are mined. We stayed in Outlook Cave - many of the inhabitants live in caves, and we found a motel cave !
Sydney. A ferry trip around the harbour, and a walk around the Opera House. And a meal in Chinatown (on my birthday).
Mt Ruapehu. (North Island, New Zealand). A short but wonderful walk through spectacular scenery.
 

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May 1997 : Wales

A bank holiday driving weekend with Rebeka and Lucia, including Bala, Harlech Castle and Tenby.
 

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March 1997 : Peak District

The second Easter weekend driving tour with Dominic. We started in Sherwood Forest, on to The Peak district (where we climbed Mam Tor), then finally The Royal Armoury in Leeds.
 

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January 1997 : Hawaii

One week
The first trip to Hawaii for my cousins Bina and Rupa, and myself. We started and finished in Honolulu on Oahu, and flew to Maui and The Big Island. The Hawaiians are a wonderful blend of Americans and Polynesians.

Oahu. Chilling out on our first Hawaiian beach; swimming and snorkelling amongst the fishes. A perfect start.
Maui. Four days of luxury at the Hyatt Regency. Pool, sauna, jacuzzi, sauna, jacuzzi, pool. Food. Long drinks by the pool.
Big Island. The Big Island has had a continuous lava flow, ending spectacularly in the sea for, I think, about 14 years. It stopped three days before we arrived. We decided not to take this personally, toured the island, and had a wonderfully time beach hopping.
 

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November 1996 : America

Three weeks with my cousins in Newark, New York and Boston.
 

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October 1996 : Madrid

One week relaxing in Madrid with Cosima. One day in Toledo, and several days walking around Retiro Park.
Google maps : Retiro Park, Madrid

 

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June 1996 : Paris

A weekend in and around Paris with Parisian friends after a business meeting.
 

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April 1996 : Scotland

The first Easter weekend driving tour with Dominic. Highlights were walks at Settle, Hadrian's Wall and Loch Ness.
 

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August 1995 : Italy

Half a week in Lecce and Novoli in South Italy for Alan & Cosima's wedding.
 

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August 1995 : Winchester, The New Forest & Corfe Castle

A weekend drive with Dominic including King Arthur's round table (in Winchester) and scaling the walls of Corfe Castle.  

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July 1995 : USA coast-to-coast

Three weeks with Bina and Rupa, two cousins of mine from New Jersey, who drove me from the east coast of America to the west coast, and back again.
New Jersey, Chicago, Denver, the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, Salt Lake City, Gillette, Niagara Falls, Boston, New Jersey.
A 21 day tour, 8 of which were on the road. We totalled 6500 miles.
Driving across America gives you a real feel for how HUGE it really is. It gives you a chance to see the diversity of the cities, the landscape, the climate and the people.
Chicago. We were in Chicago on 4th July, and I remember walking along the lakeside.
Denver. The sunset as we approached Denver was amazing. The sun was behind The Rockies, and the whole sky was on fire. The drive through the Rockies was so impressive, the colours so vivid. The few clouds hung like cotton wool in the perfectly blue sky.
Napa Valley. I heartily recommend one of the vineyard tours in Napa Valley. We went to the Robert Mondavi vineyard and had a great day. At the gift shop I tried to buy a bottle of desert wine, and I was asked for ID. That made my day !
Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe was brilliant. We were on the north/west shore, and rented bikes that we rode down the snow-capped mountain. Dinner and cocktails overlooking the lake was the perfect end to the day.
Salt Lake City. A brief stop, where we picked up Andrew who we took to Boston. All I remember is that the policemen were on mountain bikes !
Boston. We went to a nightclub, my first American nightclub, and there was a power cut !
 

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June 1995 : Dublin

A day wandering around Dublin after a business trip. The night of the trip our Dublin office where celebrating winning the country's television audience measurement contract.
I have ONLY ever drunk Guinness in Dublin ! So when people say its better there than anywhere else, I cannot comment.
 

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October 1994 : Corfu

I kidnapped Bina (one of my American cousins), and took here to Corfu for a week. We hired a jeep for a few days... and I got to drive it on a beach. In our apartment, the water was heated by solar power, so if it was sunny, we had a warm shower, but if not...

Bina thinks I drove wonderfully, on those narrow steep roads... right Bina ?.
 

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August 1993 : Paris

Squeezed in between two business trips, this was a three day meet-up in Paris. I went through Heathrow six times in seven days !! In Paris I met up with Bina (my cousin from America) and her friend Nita, who were euro-railing. Also present were two of their friends from NY, Neha and Jean. And lastly Beatrice and myself. Beatrice is a family friend, whose family put me up. In those three days we packed in an amazing amount, including Versailles and a night boat trip down the Seine.
 

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March and December 1993 : Bahrain

Ruth and Rebecca Twice in 1993 I visited my most special friends in Bahrain. Ruth has known me since before I was born, so we're lifelong friends, and her daughter Rebecca stole my heart, and has never given it back. These two holidays were a wonderful introduction to the Middle East and ex-pat life.

click on image to view full size in a new    window

 

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August 1990 : The European Tour

1990 was the historic tour of central/east Europe. It was a family trip, and with only one omission, there were three generations present : my grandfather, his 6 children and their spouses, and 10 grandchildren.
Zurich, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Salzburg, Venice, Zurich. Absolutely amazing. We only had a day and a half in most places, but you take what you get.
Google maps : Venice, Italy

 

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Summer 1979 : Kenya

I have vague memories of Kenya, when I was 10 years old. A family holiday lasting four weeks. We were based with family in Nairobi and had a week in Mombasa and a safari.

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