Saturday, June 30, 2012

This morning we visited the Wieliczka Salt Mine.  A dark and rickety 9 person squeezed in lift takes you down 130 metres below the ground.
Then gradually you go down 380 stairs, in sections.  Some stairs were made of salt and very slippery.

You walk along tunnels and then enter chambers where there are salt sculptures that date back more than 700 years.  The average temp in the mine is 14-16 degrees.  There are 2400 chambers over 245km over the various levels all the way down to 327 metres.
In the largest chamber they hold concerts, weddings and functions.  The acoustics are excellent.  It is a beautiful chamber with the floor made of salt, salt sculptures and chandeliers made of salt.


It is an amazing place.  The tour takes nearly 3 hours.


The Chapel


Colin in the chapel


Friday, June 29, 2012

The bugler in the tower window
We are now in Krakow. We arrived here last night by train from Berlin.  The train spent many hours whisking us through the countryside past long deserted and eerie communist era factories and coal mines.

We passed many towns and villages many with concrete apartment blocks again from communist era.  Very bleak looking.

Krakow however, is absolutely beautiful.  The city dates back to the 4th century.  There is a castle on the hill, Wawel Castle and the legend of the dragon.  The city is divided in the Jewish Quarter, the Ghetto, the old town and the modern town.

The old town is surrounded by a lovely park with big shade trees.  The park is called Planty.  At the centre of the old town is the huge market square, cobble stoned and lined with cafes and restaurants brimming with people.  A large flower market in the centre next to a long building which houses many stalls selling souvenirs, t'shirts and lace.

The Basillica of St Mary towers over the square.  Every hour a bugler plays from a window at the very top of the tower some 54 metres from the ground.  The melody comes from Hungary and was used to warn of fires. There are 7 trumpeters who take turns on the hour every hour to ring the church bell and play the tune.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012


Last night we caught an overnight sleeper train to Berlin.  First we travelled to Paris by Eurostar and then went to the Gard de Este station.  The train arrived on time and we went to our allocated sleeper, a 2 berth sleeper with a washbasin in the corner.  
There was no dining car or anything like that on board the train.  The conductor had a very limited selection of food and drink.  Baguettes with egg only and some beer and wine.  So, it was good that we bought stuff with us.  We settled into our cabin and read for a while and then went to sleep. 


I took a while to go off to sleep as the train went very fast and rocked and rolled a lot.  I didn’t think I was going to able to sleep but the next thing I knew it was about 5am.  The train apparently stopped at some stations during the night but I slept through it all. We woke up this morning and the conductor bought us our breakfast, hot coffee, juice, muffin and some bread and cheese spread.

We are still swaying frin the train motion every now and then.  It was a very fast train and rocking and rolling motion was very noticable. When the train went around a bend you slid along the bed in that
direction and then when it went the other way you slid back the other 
way.
Colin on the overnight train Paris to Berlin



On our last day in London at the hotel  where we are staying there was a lot of media and papparazi camped outside.  
  There was a small crowd gathered in the corner so I went and enquired and found out it was the Spice Girls. All of them.  They were surrounded by minders, security and PR people so couldn’t get much of a look.  They were there to promote a musical about their music.  They went into a room where a large gathering cheered for them.
Shortly afterwards they came out.  They huddled in the corner again and Victoria  broke away from the group and left the hotel via the front entrance, presumably because that's where the photographers were.  I got a good photo of her.  Very harsh looking, very dark leathery skin and she is incredibly skinny.


Victoria Beckham leaving the hotel


Exterior of St Pancras Renaissance Hotel

For our last night in London we stayed  in the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel at St Pancras station.  It is an exquistetly beautiful hotel.  Fully restored after about 50 years of being abandoned at a cost of 20 million pounds.
We explored the hotel and the staff were very keen to let you explore.  The man looking after the grand stair case let us go up  and he explained a bit about it and once we had reached the top floor another man let us into the ladies smoking room.  The very first room anywhere where ladies were permitted to smoke in public.
Returning to the bottom of the stairs the doorman insisted on taking several photos of us from various angles around the staircase.
We then went to the ticket office which is now a restaurant and bar.  The ticket office looks straight out onto the platform of St Pancras.
Grand Staircase St Pancras Renaissance Hotel


Monday, June 25, 2012

The perils of driving narrow country roads.

These two buses held everyone up while the drivers argued about who would have to back up to allow them to pass each other.

From York we drove to Cambridge to meet up with relatives and we then all went to the coast at Southwold for a couple of days.  We stayed at a B&B near a tiny country village called Uggershot.  The house we stayed in was built in 1609.  The lady who ran the B&B told us about a storm earlier in the week where her grand old oak tree was struck by lightening and split in two.  She said the noise the lightening made could be heard several miles away.


Beach Huts Southwold
Colin walking along the city walls York
Our next port of call was York.  We stayed there for 2 nights.  The day we arrived the Olympic Torch was due in town that afternoon.

So, we have had a second chance to see the torch.

The torch in York
York Minster
During our stay in North Berwick we visited Tantalon Castle, situated on the cliff edge opposite Bass Rock.  It is believed that the birds on Bass Rock were a food source for the castle residents in the medieval times.

Tantalon Castle looking out at Bass Rock
Colin at Tantalon Castle
After visiting the Royal Yacht instead of staying in Edinburgh we drove to the coast and stayed in East Lothian.

The area is very pretty.  There are golf courses all along the coast, right on the cliff edges.  I counted at least 18 golf courses in an area of about 20 kms.  They are just back to back golf courses.

They take the golf very seriously here.  In the village of North Berwick where we stayed we spotted several placques on houses and when we read the placques they said which golf champion had lived here and when.

East Lothian, town of North Berwick
Bass Rock home to Puffins and other sea birds
The main dining room on the Royal Yacht

From Glencoe we spent the night in Stirling and then the next day we decided that we would like to go and see the Royal Britannia Yacht in Edinburgh.

We did the yacht tour, highly recommend it.  We absolutely loved it. Definately one of the highlights of the trip so far.  

There is a café/restaurant on board and we had a light lunch there, so I can now say I have dined on the royal yacht Britannia.
Me enjoying the sunshine on the deck

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Scottish Piper Glencoe
Glencoe


Our next destination was Glencoe.  Definately one of the highlights of this trip.

Glen Coe is probably Scotlands most famous and most scenic glen.  The mountains are strikingly beautiful, some were snow capped.  There are waterfalls, creeks and lakes all filtering in to Loch Leven.  Plenty of wildlife too.  We saw eagles soaring high above us. 

Glencoe is also famous for the massacre of 1692 where the Campbells massacred the McDonalds at Signal Rock.

So, with it's gruesome past and dark and mysterious mountains it is truly an awesome place to visit.

Us at Glencoe


McCaig's Tower
The most prominent landmark and viewpoint, sat high overlooking the town of Oban, is McCaig’s tower. It looks remarkably like a roman ampitheatre. A steep walk up the hill, approximately 20 – 30 minutes The tower was erected by wealthy banker John Stuart McCaig between 1897 and 1902, boasts hilltop views over the harbour and to the Isle of Mull, Isle of Kerrera and down the Firth of Lorn.  The tower was never finished.  He died before erecting statues of himself on the inside. 
We went to visit visit Dunstaffagne castle, a ruin not far from Oban with a ruined chapel.  There are many ruined castles in Scotland, I think every island has at least one and they are dotted all along the coastline and on the edge of the lochs.

Dunstaffagne Castle
Our next destination was the very pretty village of Oban on the Hebridean sea surrounded by islands, the Isle of Mull and many smaller islands.

View from our B&B window

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The fishing village of Tarbert

Monday, June 18, 2012

Skipness Castle
Leaving Inverary we made our way to Loch Ranza for Colin to take his photograph.  We drove over the pass along a single track road and at the top of the pass you get an amazing view of the Isle of Arran and then the road sweeps down to the departure point of the ferry.  The weather was so bad that several ferries had been cancelled that day.  I did not wish to go on the ferry. 
Isle of Arran


Instead we visited Skipness Castle, a ruin sitting on the edge of the Loch with views across to the Isle of Arran.  Very pretty but very bleak and windy spot. 


There is a cafe there that sells seafood and we were told it was amazing.    There was a group of 4 frenchmen having a meal of seafood, sitting outdoors in the ferocious wind.  We joined them as the only indoor area was flooded.

We sat there rugged up against the wind and rain and had our lunch.

From there we drove to Campbelltown via a single track road that took us on a very scenic journey up and over the pass on a very windy and hilly road eventually leading us into Campbelltown. It is quite a pretty fishing harbour and a big industrial town.

We  decided to press on to Tarbert as our destination for the night.  We arrived in the town and found a B&B right opposite the Loch.  Quite an amazing B&B, run by this man with 2 dogs and an amazing collection of Knick Knacks, garden gnomes, statues, water features, chirping birds all sorts of things.  Even our quirky shaped room was stuffed full of knick knacks.  During the night as the wind and rain lashed the house everything in garden rattled and tinkled away.


After leaving the Lakes District we headed to Scotland.  We went around Glasgow and headed towards Loch Lomond.  We drove some narrow winding lanes alongside the loch and passed a ruined castle on the edge of the loch.  We got to the town of Tarbet and the road was blocked because of a motorbike accident.  We were forced to take a much longer route adding over an hour to our journey but a very scenic hour alongside a loch all the way.

ruined castle on the edge of Loch Lomond


We stopped in Invererary.  A very pretty little village alongside Loch Fyne.  We found a lovey B&B, a former chapel, all the doors and windows were curved. 

During the night there was an almighty storm and the wind howled and shook the windows all night long.

We went to visit Inverary Castle, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll.  A young couple with young  children.  They have apartments there in the castle.

The castle is very impressive, with four fairytale turrets, is made of dark stone and sits on the edge of Loch Fyne.  Inside the castle is also impressive.  The first room has the highest ceiling in GB.  It is gigantic.  At the top of the ceiling is the family crest. The walls are adorned with guns, swords and armour.  As you wander through the rooms there are some beautiful chandeliers.  One very large waterfall chandelier and in the next room two smaller waterfall chandelier.

There are lovely gardens but as the weather was pretty miserable we didn’t spend very much time in the garden.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Us on the Kirkstone Pass



We left the Lakes District via the adventurous and scenic route over the Kirkstone Pass.  It is a narrow winding road with a dry stone wall either side.  The views from the top are magnificient.  We had to stop at one spot and let some sheep cross the road.

sheep crossing the Kirstone Pass


As we came off the Kirkstone Pass we drove past some more lakes and then spotted a sign for the Aire Force Waterfalls.  We parked and walked in to the falls about a 15-20 minute walk into the first of the falls.  It’s a very pretty heavily wooded and ferns. 















There are several stone bridges to cross and we came across and fallen tree studded with coins, people had hamered in with rocks.  Who said money doesn’t grow on trees.

Friday, June 15, 2012


We then went to visit Sizergh Castle and Garden. The Castle is still very much lived in and is home to the Strickland family and has been for over 750 years.

The gardens are beautiful and we spent quite a bit of time walking in the gardens.
Colin in the garden at Sizergh Castle
Colin at Wordsworth's House

We drove to Cockermouth and went to visit Wordsworths House.  A lovely Georgian townhouse.  It was the childhood home of William Wordsworth.  The staff there were dressed in costume.  A real fire was burning in the kitchen and they had cooked some cakes making it a very interesting visit.  The staff in the dining room told us how in 1700's it was considered scandulous for men and women to sit together at the dining table.  Men sat and one end and women at the other.  It wasnt until the 1800's that men and women sat together at the table.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

We are now in the beautiful Lakes District with it's rolling lush green hills divided into pastures by dry stone walls,grazing sheep, misty mountains, picturesque lakes and pretty villages with houses made of dark grey stone.
Lake Windermere

Wednesday, June 13, 2012


We purchased a 5 house ticket for Shakespeare’s birthplace, Hall’s Croft, Nash’s house and New Place, Mary Ardens Farm and Anne Hathaways Cottage. 

We visited 4 out of the 5.  We have previously visited Anne Hathaways Cottage.

Mary Arden was Shakespeare's mother and the farm is a working Tudor farm.
Colin at Mary Arden's Farm



Here we are in the very pretty village of Stratford Upon Avon in the pouring rain.
Me in front of statue of William Shakespeare


Colin in front of Shakespeares birthplace


We visited Charlecote Park built in the 1500’s by Sir Thomas Lucy and still lived in today by his descendants.  The estate has been in the Lucy family since the 13th century.  The gardens were designed by Capability Brown.  Just about all the gardens we have seen have been by Capability Brown.  He went to almost every corner of the country and employed thousands of people to create these magnificent gardens that would take a 100 years or more to mature to their best.
Charlecote Park


Sunday, June 10, 2012


Today we visited Claremont Gardens at Esher which is the next village to Cobham where we are staying.

Belvedere Claremont
Claremont is a beautiful garden surrounding a small lake and featuring a  grass amphitheatre.  There’s a Belvedere at the top of the hill and a grotto by the lake.  The garden’s creation was down to Capability Brown.  During her childhood, it was Queen Victoria’s favourite place to come and visit and later when she was Queen she continued to visit Claremont.
Us at Claremont

Lake Claremont

Saturday, June 9, 2012


Driving the narrow English country lanes that are no wider than one car.

This afternoon we went to visit Waddesdon Manor house and garden.  Built in 1874 by Baron de Rotheschild to display his outstanding collection of art treasures and entertain in style.  The house with it’s fairytale turrets has 45 rooms for visitors to explore.

There are magnificent gardens, an Italian fountain, many statues, stables and a dairy on the many acres of beautifully landscaped gardens.
Me outside Waddesdon Manor
Back of the manor looking thru the Italian fountain