Having done a few ocean cruises, we were keen to try a river cruise for a change. We went with Riviera, and sailed from Cologne to Basel, with stops at Koblenz, Ruddesheim, and Strasbourg.
I put a lot of planning into what to wear. May temperatures in that part of Europe can be pleasant, but always allow for rain. Plus we would be going up into the mountains of Switzerland, where snow is still on the ground.
I chose a colour scheme of green, cream and navy, ensuring that the items could be mixed and matched.
Outerwear – rainproof green coat with hood, and a lighter navy shower jacket.
Trousers – navy linen, stone linen, both with matching shirts. Also a warmer pair of jade jeans.
Tops – T shirts in green, navy, cream/multi
Shirts in navy linen, stone linen, and navy with spots.
Dresses – plain green, and a multi green with a matching jacket.
Layers – plain apple green (Hobbs), striped green and cream collared (Seasalt), dark green popper front cardi (Anthropologie)
Accessories – warm scarf in cream/ multi, light scarf in jade and turquoise (fat face), square in pistachio/ cream (seasalt). Not pictured – buff with a map print on it. Sparkly wrap bracelets in turquoise and bronze (swarovski), chunky multi coloured beads (anthropologie).
Shoes – white/ bronze trainers (Hotter), navy sandals, and sparkly deck shoes. These were much admired on board, great for padding from cocktail bar to dance floor, and doing the macarena.
Also packed swimsuit, sunhat, binoculars for watching all the birdlife, and a puzzle book.
Cream trousers, multi T shirt, warm scarf, light jacket in the cable car up to the viewpoint above Koblenz.
Navy linen ensemble with waterproof green coat, on the covered bridge on Lake Lucerne.
Formal dinner night – plain green dress with the patterned jacket and chunky beads.
Enjoying a glass of local vino in Strasbourg. Green striped jumper, cream trousers, green neckscarf.
Cabin. My hand luggage was a jade Roka sized to fit into most airlines cradles.
The full moon.
A luxurious cruise ship sails along the Rhine river at sunset, passing historic castles and quaint villages.
We both thoroughly enjoyed our time on board, The staff/ guest ratio is very good, and all the staff were so friendly and helpful. I’m a bridge afficianado, so I adored all the fabulous bridges we sailed under. We also had to go through a number of huge locks, engineering marvels. Sipping a GnT on deck as we glided past German fairytale castles, being brought the cocktail of the day and canapes at 5 pm, joining in the quiz night and Tai Chi class, enjoying splendid food and wines, it was just wonderful.
Reason for visit – trying a weekend away with Toby!
Access:
We took the ferry to Cairnryan and drove up the lovely Ayrshire coast. Largs is well served with buses and trains, so public transport is an option as well.
Facilities:
Parking is available at the Vikingar museum complex – there’s even a couple of electric charge points, which we made use of. There are public toilets near the Fishworks, 40p, tap your card.
Course:
It’s up and down the prom 3 and a bit times, dead flat, with a “keep left” advisory and watch out for other prom users, especially dog walkers. Turnaround point is by the Fishworks restaurant, and a visit to this award winning establishment is highly recommended! When we visited the weather had turned from being grey and dreich, to being sunny but icily cold. This meant a rather spectacular background, with the snowy peaks of Arran behind the closer island of Cumbrae, the ferry going back and forth.
Crowd:
It’s a fairly small event – I was finisher 60, and I’d been doing most of the course with the tailwalker. But there were some visitors form Manchester and other parts of Scotland. I was delighted to discover when the infographics summary was produced that I was the runniest runner! Friendly and welcoming volunteers.
Time:
We’d set off at a pleasant jog, keeping up with some of the other canine participants. But. One of the things I’d been worried about Toby was that he is such a creature of habit, always goes potty in the same spot in the garden, never when out on a walk, that I hoped he’d be able to find somewhere suitable in this foreign land. So when the moment happened during our run, I was happy enough to stop and clean up. And then 10 minutes later, another one! And then a full 5 minute pee. By this point the tail walker (and gorgeous dog Charlie) had caught up with us, so we spent the rest of the run chatting together. So my time of 50 minutes was OK I reckon!
And the rest:
We absolutely loved Largs, with its many dog-friendly establishments. The Haylee Hotel couldn’t do enough for us, and the Anchor Inn, with its roaring fire and Toby curled up under the table was the picture perfect weekend away setting. Toby took most of his new experiences in his stride – the Pet Lounge on the ferry, sleeping in his travel crate, getting in a lift, but the ferry stairs with their open treads were just a bit too scary (hence the lift). They were OK going down, mind.
Reason for visit: a weekend in Devon with my grandkids! The promise – a cottage by a lake, hot tub, kayaking on the lake, parkrun, aquarium, maybe a trip to the seaside……..
Access:
My son (and grandkids) live near Salisbury (plane to Southampton, train to Salisbury from the station literally across the road, there are at least 2 an hour, and you get to watch the many many freight trains on this line). Three hour drive to Devon. We were staying in a cottage in north Devon, and on Saturday morning followed the very good sat nav directions from the parkrun page.
Facilities:
Good car parking,with a marshal to direct you, but you do need to pay. Toilets. Cafe during summer hours only.
Course:
It’s a beautiful run round the Tamar lakes, crossing into Cornwall at some point, and in the beautiful autumn colours it was just a glorious way to start a Saturday morning. Pretty flat – there are one or 2 inclines which might challenge a wheelchair or buggy, but wide gravel paths all the way. Big love to the volunteers who had to pick up those spilled finish tokens in the mud!
Crowd:
Stable numbers are around the 100 mark – the weekend we were there was Storm Bert which had resulted in MULTIPLE cancellations across the country, so I thought there may be more attendees, but perhaps folk were avoiding getting stuck in flooded roads. (See later). One of thier regular runners was fundraising for an upcoming marathon, so there was a fundraising bun stand
Many gorjus doggies, including a pointy eared ginger Portuguese hound, and of course our own sprocker, Apollo.
Gear:
It was cold and windy, and I’m not running fast these days. Windproof trousers, Sauconys that I travelled in, warm Michelin jacket, and Cow Bobble..
Time:
I was supposed to be the responsible adult of an under 11, but I was far too slow for him, so I jiggedy jogged around in just over 53 minutes.
Strangely Appropriate Song On Shuffle:
OK. Let me fast forward you to the Sunday, where my return journey was spent in the back of a recovery truck, avoiding the flooded roads, gridlocked town centres, accident blocked tiny roads…..and the song on the radio was “The tide is high, but I’m holding on…”
And the rest:
Storm Bert put the kybosh on any hot tubs, kayaking, or seaside strolls. We had a few splashy puddle walks, an indoor climbing wall session, takeaway fish’n’chips, and then the van was displaying warning signs, so there was no way we were driving back.
Hence the recovery truck return journey, with my son and I exchanging awful Hamilton puns (Look around, look around, how lucky we are to be alive right now!), and us negotiating closed ring roads hence 40 minute stand offs up and down a steep hill, 33 point turns when a road was blocked by an accident, and then 10 miles form home having to take a half hour break, for understandable tachograph safety rules. Truly Unforgettable!
Valencia is the 3rd largest city in Spain, which happened to be a question on El Cazador, the Spanish version of The Chase. It has something for everyone, with a beach, marina, old buildings, great restaurants and a superb public transport system.
We bought the Valencia Travel Card, which gave 3 days on any of the buses trains and trams, as well as a free drink and tapa in the cafe at the top of El Cortes Ingles, and discounts on the entrance to other attractions.
Its central market is famous, and houses a stunning array of meat, fish, cheese, fruit and veg, as well as other items.
We visited the cathedral, which has a beautiful octagonal tower, whose windows are made from thin stone.
Another highlight was a visit to Oceanografic, part of the City of Arts and Sciences.
It is made up of different zones, such as tropical, temperate, arctic, and is home to some mesmerizing jellyfish, a pair of beluga whales, sharks, rays and turtles.
There are 2 tunnels where you can walk underneath the fish tanks, as the various creatures swim over and around you.
The cafe serves and nice selection of sandwiches, coffee and beer, while underneath there is an amazing restaurant, Submarino, where you can dine while surrounded by a giant fish tank.
Plenty of restaurants do a “men del dia” for around 10-13 euros, which includes a drink and bread. A glass of wine was around 3 euros. Favourite breakfast was tostada with tomato pulp, served with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
Reason for visit – meeting my new grand-dog, the bestest boy, Apollo!
Access:
In the lovely village of Lymington, Woodside Gardens in a short walk from the centre. Nearest train station is 2km away. I was staying in the New Wheel Inn, about 3 km away, and took a taxi. There are a couple of car parks, though they fill up quickly, and one has a height barrier.
Facilities:
Runners meet at the pavilion, where there are loos, and also a café that opens at 9.
Course:
The terrain is quite mixed, partly grass, partly tarmac. around the playing fields and the gorgeous gardens. It’s one small and two larger laps, and a bit confusing, but well signposted and marshalled at all corners. My only problem was that after getting scanned, the faster runners congregate on the path in front of the pavilion…..while slower runners are still trying to get through on their last lap.
Crowd:
I saw a couple of other cow cowls, but didn’t get a chance to say Hi. The tail-walker caught up with me after the previous slowest person dropped out, and he and I just chatted as we walked the last wee bit. But of course the most important for me was my son, who I rarely get a chance to run with, and newest family addition, Apollo. He’s too young to run just yet, but I’ve no doubt he will be a great canine competitor in time.
Time:
Since I’d stopped to take photos, and then walked with the tail, I knew it would be slow, and I was happy enough with a 46 mins.
Gear:
Sauconys, skirty leggings, WMN top, cow cowl and headband. Cracker came with me for the ride.
Strangely Appropriate Song on Shuffle:
I was listening to the With Me Now podcast, which was describing the idyllic sounding North Yorkshire Waterpark – definitely one for the bucket list!
And the rest:
I had a great time catching up with family, Lymington is a lovely sport with a busy harbour, and a market on on Saturdays. We had really nice coffee and brunch the dog-friendly Bohemia cafe. Later we visited Bournemouth and took a boat trip, I went on the helter skelter, we had ice creams and then went to Poole for fish and chips.
Why yes I did, thank you, I was treated by my daughter Jemima to a wonderful few days in Nice, down on the beautiful French Riviera.
Nice is the 5th largest city in France by population, but its contribution to the tourist economy is immense. The airport is right on the beach, so the views as you land of the sparkling azure sea, with all sorts of water activity happening, and the mountains setting a dramatic backdrop, are nothing short of jaw dropping. And its the first airport where I’ve spotted a sign pointing out the toilets are next to the heliport…..
A taxi took us to the apartment we had rented for the week, just across the 7 km long Promenade Des Anglais from the sea. We had a short wait before we could get in, so I suggested we visited the sign that said “Brasserie” next door. This in fact turned out to be the glamorous https://www.hotel-negresco-nice.com/en/hotel Le Negresco Hotel, one of the most fashionable addresses and recognisable buildings in Nice. We settled in for champagne cocktails, and a charming uniformed waiter provided complimentary snacks of rosemary cashews and smokey almonds.
Suitable and impressively refreshed, we had our first look around the apartment, stunningly decorated with modern light fittings and a large kitchen lounge area (though bizarrely only one tiny toilet with the worlds smallest basin, for the whole apartment). A mirror on the back of the front door demanded selfies every time we left.
After a quick stock up of supplies from the nearby Carrefour, we set off for our first orientation wander along the prom. The weather was very warm (30+ degrees), but the gentle Mediterranean breeze made it feel very pleasant.
The girls were tempted to try parasailing, and we were all fascinated by the waterfall high on the hillside at the end of the prom. We had a delicious dinner including moules et frites, and even popped our heads around the Casino on the way home.
Day 2 was an early start, as J had booked us all onto a full day tour of the lavender fields and the Gorge du Verdun, https://www.verdontourisme.com/en/the-verdon/the-verdon-gorges-the-largest-canyon-in-europe/whose deep blue green I had even spotted from the plane yesterday. The tour was in a thankfully air conditioned vehicle, and included stops in the delightful villages of Castelane and a lunch stop in Moustier Sainte Marie. We saw how lavender oil was distilled, and learned about its many health giving attributes.
Sadly the harvest had just happened (the hot weather had meant it was early this year), but the hazy purple fields were still impressive.
Next stop was down at that stunning lake, which gets its colour from the clay underneath. The girls were brave enough to have a swim, and there were pedallos and kayaks for hire if you had some more time to spend.
Once back home, we just had a supper of pizza and frites at a nearby restaurant.
Day 3, and the girls wanted to spend the morning on the beach, so Christina and I took the open top bus tour. This gives stunning views of coast, and passes by a villa formerly owned by Elton John. We stopped for lunch at Villefranche sur Mer, a beautiful port with many restaurants and shops set around the harbour and the small sandy beach. I opted for the selection of local specialities, including stuffed courgette flowers, which I’ve long wanted to try.
Later in the afternoon, when it was slightly cooler, we walked all the way down to the ILoveNice sign, and the climb up to that waterfall. There was a lift, but it was closed. “When does it open?” asked Lisa. “In a few months when its been repaired!” was the answer. A long climb up countless stairs followed, but the views from each balcony point were worth it. At the very top we got some water from the cafe, looked down onto Nice harbour on the other side, and eventually found the waterfall itself, enjoying the refreshing spray.
At the foot of the hill, we found a window seat overlooking the prom, and played I-Spy, fashion bingo, and spot the dog, over a GnT.
For dinner I had a Salad Nicoise (of course!) and a glass of my now favourite local rose, a Minuty. Some street performing acrobats added to the colour and spectacle.
Following the recommendation of a couple we’d got chatting to earlier, the next day we headed for Monte Carlo. The train costs only 8 euro return, but the process of buying a ticket at the station was rather arduous and stressful. You need to specify exactly which trains you’ll be travelling on, the age range of each passenger, whether they had any discount cards, and even give a phone number and email! Hot and bothered, we piled onto the train, and found seats on the upper deck to enjoy to lovely coastal views.
Arriving in Monaco 20 minutes later, we began the long climb down many steps to the harbour, from where we picked up an open top bus. It was pretty packed, but we were only going one stop to the Palace, where we were just in time to catch the changing of the guard. Lovely views over the harbour from here, and then we were back on the bus to find a suitable lunch spot. We’d considered the Japanese garden, but there is a towering and noisy forest of construction work happening round here, so we instead continued to the Casino stop.
A never ending stream of fancy cars crawls round here, doing the famous Grand Prix circuit. The elegant terrasse of Cafe de Paris called to us, and soon we were settled at a table in its gilded sumptuous surroundings, admiring the waiters passing with long trays of dishes out to the Chanel and Louboutin clad clientele.
I do love a Ceasar salad, but I don’t eat chicken, so I was delighted find a version with prawns on offer here. Bread and water were provided, and they had my fave wine available by the glass – result! Coffees were served with a delightful selection of petits fours – chocolates, butter biscuits, and little pate de fruits.
We had a quick look inside the Casino, were you can get to a selection of slot machines which will greedily take 5 and 10 euro notes off you in the blink of an eye. And no photography allowed!
The traffic in the city moves at a snail pace, and we were quite hot sitting on the top deck of the bus, so it was a relief to get back to the cool and cavernous station. The train home was jam packed, so we treated ourselves to a taxi ride back to the apartment, which I followed with a refreshing dip in the sea itself.
For our last evening, we dressed up in our finest flocks, and had a seafood platter followed by crepes suzette.
On our last day we had plenty of time before our late night flight, and had managed to arrange a late check out time. In the morning, the others went to the rather rocky beach, suitable shod in waterproof shoes, while I explored the tram system. This is very clean and efficient, and well worth using to get around the city. One journey is 1.50, a multi journey ticket for 10 trips costs 10 euro, and I treated myself to an all day ticket for 5 euros. I was in full-on research mode, took a tram to Place Garibaldi, walked to the harbour, to the tram all the way to the airport, enjoyed a glass of rose in my matching frock and fan, before getting off at the station nearest to us.
Over lunch using up all the remaining cheese, strawberries, and crackers, we discussed options, and decided to take the tram to the old part of Nice. This is just adorable, little winding alleyways crammed full of shops selling herbs, honey, soaps, clothing and trinkets, as well as food stalls serving fish and socca. Not to be missed!
The tram out to the airport was smooth and quick, but we were having difficulties in checking in online. This would mean that we couldn’t get through security to all the shops and restaurants beyond until 90 minutes before the flight. Thankfully, Jemima managed to work out that my little card sized Irish passport is an ID card, not a passport, and we were soon taking our time choosing lavender honey, Fragonard perfume, truffle oil, and the all important rose wine. Suitably stocked up, we went for a meal at Jamies Diner, which had a disappointingly small range of options, but did have a lovely view out to the runway and the beach and mountains beyond. I treated us all to macarons from the nearby patisserie.
Our plane was already delayed by over an hour, and by the time we finally boarded it was going to be another hour before a take off slot was available. I have to give full credit to the Easyjet team here: They were communicative and managed expectations well. The captain came out and invited anyone who wanted to come see the cockpit, get photos, ask questions etc, to do so, and the crew passed out soft drinks and chocolate bars.
The very late (early?) landing at Gatwick meant there were no trains running, and a massive wait for taxis. But the impressively efficient Jemima managed to secure an Uber, and we all fell into bed about 3.30. Given that there are so many delays and cancellations of flights right now, I was just so glad that all our flights had actually succeeded in getting us to and from destinations. (My add on flights between Belfast and London were also problem free, so full marks to “greasyjet”!)
Final thoughts – I absolutely love this part of the world, and will happily revisit Nice, as well as other destinations along the Cote dAzur. Nice was exactly as it should look, including our local, Le Negresco, old Nice was charming, but Monte Carlo disappointing. The food and wine were all delicious. But the most memorable and enjoyable part of the holiday was the fun and laughter I shared with the best bunch of ladies in the world – love you Nicoise Gals xxx!!!
There are a number of recognised challenges that parkrunners try to tick off, one of which is the compass points. So far I’d only managed one point at Southampton parkrun, parkrun tourism: Southwark and Parkruns: South Manchester. So I was delighted to take up the offer of a visit from my best friend who now lives in Eastbourne!
Access:
I’d travelled by train from Gatwick airport, a relatively simple journey. The parkrun takes place in Shinewater Park, and I got a lift there. It is a residential area so runners are asked to park considerately if they’ve come by car. There’s a bus stop at the park entrance, and the nearest railway station is Hampden Park.
Course:
This was the first outing of the summer course when I attended. Quite a bit of the course is on uneven grass surface, so watch your step! One loop of the play park, then onto more solid paths, over bridges, under bridges, and round some lovely lakeside views. Back for one final loop of the playpark, which does mean you have an agonising run PAST the finish line before that last stretch.
Crowd:
There was a good mix of runners, and I certainly wasn’t alone in the jog-walking group at the back. I did worry a bit that the tail walker looked like he was dressed for a speedy run.
Some well behaved dogs, a few family groups, and I got chatting to an elderly couple who were making their 3rd parkrun, having only started as part of their 70th birthday celebrations. A lovely reminder of the inclusivity of parkrun. There were 331 participant when I attended, the average is in the mid 200s.
Facilities:
A cute coffee cart is onsite for post run faff. No loos. There’s a Premier Inn very nearby if you wanted to stay over. Start and finish is at the same point, so the traditional “hang it on a tree” method of leaving your jacket applies.
Gear:
I had travelled in my Sauconys, which were OK for this course. I wore my #isitfancydress With Me Now top, and of course had my cow cowl on, but saw no other parkrun tourists or WMNers! Darn it, I was looking forward to exchanging a “Dolly or Bev”/ “arbitrary” greeting.
Strangely Appropriate Song on Shuffle:
I have a choir concert coming up soon, so I have the songs we are singing downloaded onto a Spotify playlist. So I was working on the Irish Blessing ” May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rain fall soft upon your fields”. There were very few hills to contend with, the sun indeed did shine warm, and no rain, soft or otherwise, fell upon my fields. Which was nice.
Time:
I was jog walking, and stopping to take photos, so a just sub 45 minute time for me.
And the rest:
I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend in this part of the world, including a carousel ride in party town Brighton, and ice cream by the sea in Eastbourne, viewing the Seven Sisters, and seeing a big chalk man on a hillside.
Second star on the right, straight on till morning, isn’t it? No, that’s Neverland!
“Trip to the Netherlands” is a Scottish country dance, and a tricksy enough one at that, but we did it at my Tuesday night class the day before I took a….
Trip to the Netherlands!
This was a holiday that had a bit of history of rescheduling and push backs. And Gawd Bless Easyjet. It started with my The London Marathon journey, when we had both booked flights to the capital. Then R couldn’t go, so we re-booked his flights (where d’you wanna go? Amsterdam? Cool I haven’t been there either) and I booked adjacent seats on the same flights in February. All for minimal cost and fuss.
January came, and Covid restrictions were still in place. End of January and restrictions were lifting, including parkruns, so we booked a cancellable hotel in Am’dam, with a lovely Scottish vibe to it. And then we double checked on regulations and found we would still have to quarantine for 5 days. So we pushed the flights back to March. And then found that the hotel prices had literally doubled. So I suggested we look at Den Haag – I knew there was a Scottish dance ceilidh on the Friday night, it has the gallery with the Girl With A Pearl Earring, and most importantly – the parkrun begins with a Z!
We booked a room in the appropriately named Corona Hotel, and the journey began.
Flying from Belfast International (we all still call it Aldergrove) can be a pain, but it does have some good points. Booked parking in the main stay car park, which is very close to the terminal building, is not expensive, and I’ve always found security checks to be friendly and fairly quick. There’s still many outlets not yet reopened but Starbucks provided the necessary seats and caffeine. Our 9-50 flight had meant a reasonable leave the house time.
We’d boarded in good time, and started to taxi, but then halted because of an aviation fuel spill. Seeing fire engines on standby with lights flashing was certainly a worry! But we did get underway, and the flight to the busy hub of Schiphol takes just over an hour. This airport is HUGE, no seriously, you land and then taxi for a few miles until you reach the terminal building. It is also technically 5m below sea level.
There is a train station onsite, where you can get onward journeys to eg Amsterdam, or in our case, The Hague (Den Haag)
Our hotel was a short 15 min walk from the station, and we admired the lovely open squares full of people eating, drinking and laughing, as we passed by. The hotel staff were very welcoming, and we soon had dropped off our bags, had a relaxing drink on the hotel terrace, and set off for an aimless wander (ie to find vodka, wine and the holy grail of diet coke). Some places don’t use mastercard or visa, only maestro, so make sure you have some euro cash with you!
We found a lovely rooftop restaurant for pasta/ steak, and then wandered through the Passage, a vintage shopping mall with some gorgeous little emporia and a bit of history of the building as well.
Day 2
Having passed on our plan to stay in the capital, this was our day to visit Amsterdam. R had found a Flixbus that cost only 16-90 return, a third of the train prices, and which got there a few minutes earlier.
Took a while to find the right stance down at DH Centraal, but we did after a few enquiries find the green Flixbus sign, and a straggle of other travellers joined us. Good clean bus arrived right on time, and there was no trouble finding seats (in front of an annoying talking woman). After 40 minutes we discovered why this option was cheaper and quicker, as it pulled into the park and ride hub at Amsterdam Sloterdijk, just outside the ring road. We bought all day transport tickets at 8-50, and the metro takes another 40 mins to reach Centraal. The train gets there in 5 minutes, so that’s a good alternative option.
But wow, Amsterdam Centraal Station is a hugely impressive jewel of a building, red brick gothic with a clock and a dial showing…wind direction? A busker with a miniature fairground organ was playing Queen songs as we passed, and we went for the easy option of MacDonalds breakfast muffins, before taking a canal cruise boat trip. These are an hour long, there are multiple operators offering the same journey, so the principle of arbitrage means they are all priced at 13 euros.
The tour is a very relaxing way to spend an hour getting some of the history of the city, and the ticket doubles as a postcard! We learned that as there are so few bridges across the Amstel river, the little ferries are free.
We strolled down the waters edge to the Sea Palace, a floating Chinese restaurant that is the replica of the Jumbo in Hong Kong. What a sumptuous interior, and we were fascinated by the robot waiters, which brought orders to the table on mechanised trolleys. Dim sum starters, followed by soup, and then we couldn’t resist trying the salted egg yolk dessert thing…..
A wander round the neighbourhood reminded us of the city’s reputation, which apparently is not the reason the city flag has three Xs on it. I enjoyed sampling cheese in Henri Willig, and bought a mini cheese slicer.
The Flixbus option is good value, but our return bus wasn’t scheduled until 8 pm, so we decided to cut our losses and just get a train back. Unfortunately it was cancelled at Harleem, with a further 40 minute delay, but we did get back , out our feet up, and then set out in search of chips. Ended up by introducing R to Five Guys!
Day 3
The hotel breakfast seemed expensive at 17 euros, so we headed off in search of alternative, finding ourselves at https://hoenderenhop.nl/en/hoender-hop/ a really chilled and relaxing cafe with cool background music on Grote Markt, with super strong coffee, and a delicious yoghurt/granola/fruit dish.
We had tickets for 10 am at the Mauritshuis Musuem, but were distracted by the arrival of a royal (?) at the next door parliament building. The museum itself is in a lovely old building, and contains many fabulous paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and other Dutch masters. The pride of place is the Girl With The Pearl Earring (room 15 upstairs), which was not too mobbed by viewers, though it is protected by a steel circular barrier.
My favourite was the giant detailed painting of a bull.
Of course, the museum shop is a must visit, and I bought some pearl earrings (natch!), a GWTPE face mask, a tulip microfibre cloth and a book about tulipomania. (If you’ve seen me on Weakest Link you’ll understand!)
No, I dont know why I can’t get this image the right way up! But spot the beagle
We then took the no 1 tram out to Scheveningen, the seaside resort just a couple of miles from the centre.
We alighted at the Kurhaus stop, a fairy-tale hotel with fabulous glass dome and porticoed terasses.
R described it as a posh Blackpool! It has the usual seaside elements you’d expect – frites and ice cream kiosks, amusement arcades, as well as a pier boasting upper and lower (covered) decks, with a Ferris wheel, and zip line and bungee jumping at peak times. Some interesting bronze sculptures are dotted on the promenade. There are a number of eating and drinking establishments here – I asked the barman for a Sex on The Pier and he gave me one! (insert own innuendo here).
And I later enjoyed a common menu feature – a 12 o’clock special, consisting of a sandwich, soup, and small salad. The weather was superb, and we agreed to come back tomorrow to watch the sunset.
Scottish Country Dance is a world wide activity, and when I had contacted Margaret, the local co-ordinator, she said there would be a ceilidh on the Friday night. So I was delighted to be able to attend. My day travel ticket got me on the right bus, and I enjoyed a super evening of song, dance, and food with some locals.
Day 4
Saturday is parkrun day. But this was no ordinary parkrun day. This was Letter Z day, getting that final letter in my alphabet, and fulfilling the “thing I want to do” that I said on The Chase. Previously Zs were only in Poland or South Africa, so Zuiderpark (literally Southpark) is a very much appreciated addition to the fold, being easily accessible from much of the UK. My usual parkrun write up is here Zuiderpark parkrun
After the parkfaff in the cafe, we changed back at the hotel, had a stroll around the local shops including the cooks treasure trove that is Dok, a cornucopia of knives, pans, aprons, dish towels, barbecues, recipe books, moulds, piping nozzles and kitchen appliances of every description.
Back out to Scheveningen, where it was much busier being a weekend, with the little blue mini train going from here to the harbour, many dogs having the time of their lives on the beach, and the daredevil activities going strong. I had a celebratory glass of fizz on the Kurhaus terasse, before we strolled on the pier, and then as the sun was already making long golden streaks across the water we found a table with a fire pit (it was still cold, 12 degrees or so) in Golfslag, one of the many cafe restaurants by the shore. We ordered a selection of tapas, and the sun could not have been more stunning as it slid into the ocean.
The tram home was understandably packed, but the crowd was good natured and courteous.
Day 5
On our final day, we returned to Hoender en Hop for breakfast, before strolling through Chinatown,
and then by the canal, to look at the Royal Palace.
We stopped for coffee and bitterballen (breaded deep fried balls of stew) and a final look at the birds around the Buitenhof. Security at Schipol can take some time to get through, so make sure you leave plenty of time at the airport.
But the weather was still lovely on our return flight, giving superb views over the Mourne mountains.
Making the most of my free time now I’ve retired with a trip to the beautiful city of Valencia.
Flights were out of Dublin, which did require an early start to catch the 5.30 am bus from Belfast. However, the bus was there at just after 5, so we didn’t have to stand around in the cold for too long. This was a nice relaxed way to reach the airport, being dropped off right at the door in just under 2 hours. Time to find some tea, and something that I usually only eat at airports for some reason, an almond croissant!
Checked in and lined up by the airplane steps, we than had to stand in the Dublin drizzle for an achingly long 10 minutes while a technician climbed in and out of the body of the plane. Before telling us that we’d have to go back inside and wait for an alternative craft. To be honest, I’d rather have an hours delay and get on a plane with no flashing warning lights!
The flight was very smooth, and I always love the view over the snowy Pyrenees. We landed in glorious sunshine just after lunch, and made our way through Covid and passport checks, before heading to the car hire depot. Having lived in Luxembourg during my career, I am (or was) familiar enough with driving on that side of the road, and so I was designated driver. It still took a bit of adjustment to remember where the rear view mirror was, and I did miss my reversing camera!
The satnav took us to the Vincci Palace Hotel on Carrer La Pau without too much swearing, followed by several trips round the block while we tried to locate the side street where the entrance to the car park was located. Via an elevator. A member of staff patiently guided me while I line up the car at exactly the right angle before squeezing it in to the small space. The hotel is very conveniently located, and even has a sun terrace!
Bags unpacked, we set off to do “aimless wandering”. This city lends itself really well to this activity, with beautiful buildings at every corner, and plenty of signs explaining any historical or architectural significances. Even with one of the main squares, Plaza de la Reina, closed for refurbishment, there was no shortage of sights to stop and stare or photograph.
I’ve been studying Spanish with a daily Duolingo lesson for over 2 years now, and so I was interested to see just how well I could communicate. The passport guy had surprised me by answering Bon Dia when I offered Buenas Dias, and I noticed that many signs, menus etc were in 3 languages: Spanish, English, and ……Valencian, a sort of version of Catalan.
We found a nice cafe for tapas and delicious Spanish white wine. Calling into a local Minimart for supplies on the way back to the hotel, I found that most of the wine on sale had corks rather than screwtops. This allowed me to try quite a complicated sentence: “Perdonne senor, busco una…en frances es un tire-bouchon” accompanied by suitable hand signals. And sure enough, un sacacorchos was duly obtained, and wine purchased. The prices were very reasonable – a bottle of Chardonnay started at 2 euros!
The hotel was very comfortable, and the staff very friendly and helpful, even providing me with a tray containing a kettle and tea bags for my essential morning cuppa.
The next was warm and sunny, and we had a great stroll round the city centre taking in the fabulous indoor market selling live snails, giant goose eggs,
colourful fruits and veg, and row upon row of fish and seafood. There was even a sign with my name on it!
From there we headed to Placa Ajuntament with the city hall, the bullring, and the gorgeous Estacion which still has detailed ceramic and wooden adornments. I found a cafe that served paella, the speciality of the region, and in the afternoon I took in the big Torres de Serranos before enjoying an ice cream in the Placa de la Viergien in front of the cathedral (under refurbishment). In the evening I dined on dorade with vegetables, and we finished with a few drinks in the lovely hotel bar.
Breakfast in the hotel was a good range of cold meats and cheese, yoghurts, bread and pastries, some hot food, and little slices of tortilla. We extracted the car from the elevator (easier on the way out), and headed out of town to visit friends who were staying nearby.
I decided not to attempt putting the car back in the hotel, opting instead for a public car park only 100m away. A late lunch was had at Saona, doing a 3 courses for 9.95 which was just exceptional – stuffed artichokes, salmon tartar, and a lemon and mango dessert.
We caught the hop-on-hop-off bus for an afternoon orientation tour of around 2 hours, to get a feel for what we wanted to see next day.
On our last full day, we went to La Ciutat de les Arts y les Ciences, and absolutely stunning complex of concert halls, exhibition spaces, science museum and aquarium. It was a little chiller today, and when we got off at the seaside stop, the seabreeze was very strong. But we found a nice seaside cafe for smoked salmon and avocado on toast before continuing our tour.
In the afternoon I tried to find the rooftop bar, as advertised on the guide map. I found where the door should be, and a notice said there was a new entrance round the far side. I walked round the block again, with no sign of an entrance. Back to the original notice to make sure I’d read it correctly, and then return to where the new entrance should be, before having to use my language skills to ask where it was. Sorry, closed for refurbishment! Oh well, off to El Corte Ingles for a bit of retail therapy instead.
For our last meal we went to Bacca, a glittering cavern like restaurant with deliciously camp waiters (think Hank Azaria in Birdcage) for a final seafood paella, and a nightcap in the hotel bar.
Final morning we went to the old established chocolate house Santa Catalina, all ceramic walls, and neatly turned out and very attentive waitresses for chocolate and churros, breakfast of champions!
This set us up nicely for a final dander, taking in the Torres de Quart, and the cathedral where there was a live display of local dancing and singing taking place.
Driving on a Sunday was a little less frenetic, and we only argued with the sat nav a wee bit before making our way back to drop off the car and head to Valencia’s architecturally stunning airport. Sadly much of the inside is currently being refurbished, but I bought some good olive oil to take home with me.
Luck was on our side on the return journey – plane landed on time, no queues to contend with, and the bus we were booked on, that we thought we were 5 minutes too late for, was still waiting at the stand. It was packed, and they were only letting on passengers who had booked tickets, so even though we didn’t get sitting together, we were on our way home through some torrential rain. And sadly I had someone behind me chatting incessantly (and loudly) the whole way.
In Belfast, a free taxi pulled up just as I reached the depot, and whisked us home in good time.
Overall, it is a delightful and attractive city that I would love to revisit , maybe when all those refurbishments have been completed!
Bonus quiz question – Budapest is one of 4 capital cities on the Danube, can you name the others? Answers at the foot.
Travelling during Covid times has added complications, but we managed to download our NI Covid certs, and use Irish passport to convert these to an EU covid pass. Travelling from one EU country to another should be OK, no additional PCR testing or passenger locator forms required. ( At that time, regulations have changed since then!) Proper foreign money also acquired – there are roughly 400 Hungarian Furints (HUF) to the pound, which is an awkward exchange rate, but I memorised that 2,000 was about a fiver, and used that as a gauge.
With an early morning start, we stayed the night before at the Clayton Hotel by Dublin airport, which also serves as a car parking option. Treated ourselves to some southern Tayto crisps from the nearby garage while watching the Ireland rugby match, and then enjoyed dinner in the restaurant.
Alarms were set for early o’clock, and at 4 am we were boarding the shuttle bus. Simple drop off of our one piece of checked in baggage, and the 3 hour flight departed and arrived on time. Hungary is 1 hour ahead.
The hotel reservation had included a transport car from the airport, but this used R’s work phone number, so a bit of back and forth-ing was required on the phone before our taxi arrived, and took us into the centre of the city, where we were staying in the Hotel Impulso, with fresh and modern décor and a warm welcome from the staff.
Day 1 is usually “aimless wandering” to get some bearings. There seemed to be many kebab shops nearby, but also a very handy Metro station (Pope John Paul 2), and even a wee Tesco on the corner for essential supplies (wine and crisps).
Much construction work is ongoing, some of it restoring and repairing old buildings, some of it extending the metro line. But we found a sticky tabled bar that was about to start serving food, and began the usual game of ordering something that resembled Smirnoff and diet coke, ice no lemon please. Diet coke is often rare outside the UK (and no, Coke Zero is not the same!)
There weren’t many restaurants near our hotel, so we ended up in a sort of Asian food shop, where I tried a seafood ramen. Back at the hotel, our bedroom was at the front, and the trams passing by were quite noisy, but they did stop at midnight.
Day 2. Breakfast at the hotel was great, a wide selection of delicious breads, some cheese and salad items, as well as hot food. It was interesting to note different Covid practices – whilst mask wearing was pretty universal, even outdoors, the breakfast was serve yourself buffet style.
We were picking up the hop-on-hop-off bus today, so walked all the way down to St Stephens Basilica to sort out the tickets and take an orientation tour.
There’s a small Christmas Market behind the basilica where I was able to get some mulled wine and a chimney cake. We needed to show Covid certs and ID to enter. R had a flatbread with pork, leeks and sour cream. Other food on offer included gigantic hot dogs, and Henry 8th style legs of meat (pork, presumably). The Hungarian language is quite unusual, and not related to those I am more familiar with, so it wasn’t really possible to have a guess at the meanings. That said, English was widely spoken.
In the afternoon we visited the synagogue, the second largest in the world. It is a stunning building, and we found the guided tour very informative and moving. Hungarian Jews suffered badly during the 2nd world war. Famous Hungarian Jews include Tony Curtis, Estee Lauder, and Goldie Hawn. There is a very poignant sculpture at the rear of the building in the form of a willow tree, with a name written on each leaf.
We dandered back to the hotel, stopping off at the Craft beer and Bistro for a drink, and picking up some essentials (sanitiser, plasters, notebook) in the Spar. And then I got changed into my Scottish dancing clothes, and hopped in a taxi to go to the local class! How marvellous to take part in an activity that is done right across the world. Masks were worn throughout the class, which was delivered mostly in Hungarian, with the odd English recap for my benefit. The most surreal part was the warm-up which was done to a Mongolian folk rock band called the Hu (and amazingly I even recognised the song). There were 12 of us in the class, and tartan sashes were used to denote those dancing as men. We tried (and failed) to get through the twelvesome reel – it’s not one I’m familiar with at all, so I wasn’t much help. Got my first experience of public transport by getting a bus and metro home.
Day 3. After a relaxed breakfast we strolled across JP2 Park to the train station for photo opportunities, and then didn’t have to wait too long for the HoHo bus, where we managed to get seats upstairs at the front. Crossing the Danube, we got off the bus on the Buda side, and took a little shuttle bus to take us up to the top of the hill. There is usually a funicular railway operating too, but it was closed for repairs. Many things are priced in euro as well as HUF, and the shuttle bus was 9 euro, well worth it to avoid climbing up the hills.
The Fisherman’s Bastion by St Matthais Church was where we alighted, and enjoyed the blue skies and sunshine for some great photos. The Buda Tower was closed to visitors (Covid), and the Carillion bells weren’t ringing (lightning), while the Palace was closed for refurbishment.
Back at the foot of the hill we walked across Elizabeth Bridge, and lunched in the Pointer Pub. Suitable refreshed, we walked to the main Christmas market in Vorosmarty Square. Big food stalls serving big portions of goulash, sausage and knuckles. Lots of lovely stalls with leather goods and wooden toys. Porcelain ornaments, fur, and jewellery. I bought a pair of silk earrings.
We caught the 4 pm boat at Dock 6, which was just the perfect time for our river trip. We found seats on the upper deck, complete with blankets to keep warm. As the sun set there was a beautiful golden light on the water, which then became deeper twilight and all the buildings lit up in fabulous colours. We walked home, calling into Tesco for the makings of a “hotel room picnic”, and I mistakenly bought a bottle of wine with a cork! Cue much hilarity at reception as David bravely wrestled with an ancient corkscrew to unite me with my Chardonnay.
Day 4. The weather was a bit cooler and duller , but we took the HoHo bus to Heroes Square, admired the ice skaters, and had a dander through the old castle museum, dotted with many statues. I was proud of myself for finding 300HUF to use the toilets.
We lunched downtown in the Longford Irish pub (cheesy chips), and then checked out the Timberland shop. I worked out how to get back to the hotel using public transport, and bought a couple of 24 hour tickets. We’d wanted to go to the West End City Centre shopping mall, but the metro was replaced by buses and we were scared of getting lost.
I was able to go to the Thursday night dance class, which was being taken by a Russian girl, mostly in English. There were only 9 of us plus the teacher, so I felt a wee bit left out when I didn’t have a partner for a 4 couple dance, but I do sympathise knowing how hard it is to find a programme that’ll work for however many dancers turn up.
The class runs from 6 till 8, so it does make for a respectable early night, I treated us to ice creams from Tesco, and Barbara on reception did the honours with the corkscrew.
Day 5. After a leisurely breakfast, I bought a bottle of Tokaj, the famous Hungarian wine, from Tesco, and packed it in our check-in bag, which we were able to leave at the hotel as our plane was not till the evening.
We used the public transport tickets to visit the big Market Hall, a riot of colour and displays of fruits, meat, cheese, paprika, lavender, wooden toys, palinka, and embroidered goods. The lower level has some history and information about the most important Hungarian produce, and I was able to buy little tins of paprika, a jar of caviar, smiley pickles, and some cheese.
I wasn’t sure whether to fork out for a tablecloth or peasant blouse, but R pointed out some embroidered face masks, which were not too expensive and will definitely get used!
The number 2 tram line claims to be one of the most scenic in Europe, hugging the side of the river, so we took a ride on it to the parliament buildings. Our tickets were indeed checked on this part of the trip. After an unsatisfying cheese scone in a café, we looked at the bronze shoes, a poignant tribute to those who’d been shot by the Arrow Cross.
Back on the red metro line, we rode to the station and then changed to the green line and back to the hotel, where we used the wifi to complete our passenger locator forms, needed to get back into Ireland.
I was a little concerned when our taxi was late, and then got stuck in some awful traffic going to the airport, and then the queue to drop off bags took an hour to get through!
I was a bit worried about Storm Arwen, but our return flight was uneventful, landed on time, got through passport and Covid checks in under 5 minutes, and our suitcase was waiting for us on the carousel.
Quiz answer: Those other capitals are Vienna and Bratislava (which I’ve visited EuroViennaSlava), and Belgrade (which is now on my bucket list so’s I can complete the set).
Dancing At Lunacy 