Belgium - October 2012

Perhaps one of my more moving trips, this short break in Belgium incorporated the cities of Brussels, Bruges and the battlefields in the Flanders area of the country.

I was inspired to take this journey after years of seeing the photographs that History students at the College where I work come back with after completing a similar visit. I decided I had to see it for myself and I'm glad I did.

I'm going to start with my day tour to Flanders Fields. My tour guide for the day was Nathan (see the www.visitbruges.org website for more information) and a more knowledgable tour guide you would struggle to find. There were eight of us on the trip, all British, American and Australian. Not 10 minutes into our journey and we were all marvelling at the knowledge of our guide, as he recounted dates and statistics from the First World War. I learn far more about the Second World War in school, so it was all a welcome education for me.

The tour was very packed, with lots of places to visit during the day, and we started at the Langemark German cemetery, a very sobering place where mass graves of german soldiers can be found. The visit is perhaps more harrowing when you learn that almost all those buried there were 15, 16 or 17 years of age. We learnt that they were sons of eminent German officers, sent into take the town of Ypres because they thought it would be easy - not to and thousands were slaughtered.

From Langemark, we stopped off at a private garage and saw a store of recovered war munitions, ranging from rusty guns and grenades to unexploded shells. There were so many, but we were informed it was just the tip of the iceberg.

We moved on through the drizzle and cold (which seemed appropriate given the conditions the soldiers of the time often fought in) and went to the British Tyne Cott cemetery. Although there were no mass graves there, all too often we did see headstones which read, 'A soldier of the Great War, known unto God'. How sad. We went into the excellent museum there too and saw many recovered artifacts of the time and read many heartbreaking letters, including some from officers to relatives back in Britain explaining how their sons and husbands had met their end.

The Passendale Museum was the next stop to view the many artifacts on display and get a taste of life in the trenches. This included a section in which you can smell what the different poison gases used in the war were like - I could detect an odour in the Mustard gas, but could smell nothing with the deadly chlorine gas. The accompanying explanations make for disturbing reading as to how thousands of troops died. There were also video screens dotted throughout the museum, showing footage from the time. Particularly upsetting was the footage of a soldier clearly suffering from shell shock, who reacted with sheer terror at the mere approach of an officer; I had to walk away and compose myself before I could rejoin the group.

Our visit took in a real British trench and its German counterpart. The difference between the two was stark. For a start, the German trench had only recently been discovered and was well restored, while the British trench still had its hastily erected corregated iron roofs and was so shallow that no one would have been able to stand upright. The mud also gave an indication of the conditions of the time.

Inevitably the tour included Ypres itself, where we enjoyed a pleasant pub lunch, and we also visited the Flanders Fields Museum and the impressive Menin Gate. I would very much have liked to be there in the evening for the moving Last Post, but that did not fit in with my plans. Nonetheless, it was well worth a visit and the sheer number of names listed were moving on their own.

It's hard not to dwell on just that one day, so poignant was it. However, there was more to my trip and in particular Bruges was a delight. The cobbled streets and canals make for a very pretty picture, as do the windmills dotted around the edge of the river. It has some good architechture and beautiful art, but perhaps my favourite part are the shops. Paying obvious homage to its chocolate and beer, there are many wonderful places to visit to enjoy both. The choloate shops are on every corner (or so it seems) and theintricate hand-made chocolates smell even better than they look!

Brussels was my final stop and though nothing like as pretty as Bruges, it has it's impressive pieces of architechture and bustling squares, not to mention more chocolate shops.

It's hard to dwell for too long on the chocolate or beer (or the sign that quotes Homer Simpson's love of the latter), given the day tour I took. The phrase 'Lest we forget' came to mind repeatedly and for that reason alone I'm so glad I took this trip.

London 2012 Olympic Games - August 2012

OK, this is not really a holiday or much of a travel, but how could I leave out something as momentous as the Olympic Games?!?!

When London was named as host city back in 2005 I knew I had to be there. I viewed the Olympic Games as a once in a lifetime opportunity and to say I was excited does not do credit to how I was feeling. Small children the night before Christmas have not been as excited as I was about the Olympics.

I consider myself very fortunate to have got tickets, as so many people tried and failed to get any. I had a pact with my friend Sinead - I said if I got any she could come with me and she said if she got any I could go with her. So Sinead was my Olympic partner and she journeyed back from Ireland especially for the event.

We headed to the Olymmpic Park in Stratford on Monday 6 August 2012, with men's basketball tickets clutched in our sweaty palms! Doom mongerers before the Games had predicted travel chaos, security glitches and disorganisation. Nothing could have been further from the truth. We took the Javelin from St Pancras International to Stratford International and arrived around noon. Our first sight was the enormous Olympic Stadium!

We spent the entire afternoon walking round the very large Olympic Park, having a look at the exterior of all the venues, taking in some Equestrian action in the Park Live on the big screen (including seeing a Team GB gold medal to loud and partisan cheers!) and we went up the Orbit to take in the views from 200+ feet up.

The Orbit was both excellent and disappointing. People are divided on its architecture - Sinead labelled it an "eyesore", but it is certainly interesting and does afford you great views not only of the Olympic Park but large parts of London too. My main gripe was with the bizarre red piping, which obscured the view of the Olympic Stadium - it was actually impossible to get a photo of the Olympic Stadium without one in the way! What a shame.

Our tickets were for an evening session at the basketball, from 8.00pm - midnight. We saw two qualification matches, including Spain versus Brazil and Argentina versus USA. Predictably Spain and the USA won their matches, but it was hugely entertaining and the atmosphere was brilliant. We even had Michelle Obama, Evander Holyfield and Ludicris for company!

By the time we came out of the Basketball Arena it was pitch black outside and the venues were all lit up, including the Olympic Stadium. We left tired, but happy, having had a truly memorable day as part of the Olympic Dream!

My Olympic experience was complete the next day, with a trip to Hyde Park to watch the Men's Triathlon. approximately 300,000 other people had the same idea, so several of the nearest tube stations had to close for safety reasons and we had something of a longer walk to get there. We found a vantage point (albeit, not a brilliant one) and drank in the atmpshere as the triathletes zipped past for the cycling element of the race. We headed into the Centre of Hyde Park to watch the end of the big screen and arrived just in time to see the Brownlee brother cross the line to win gold and bronze.

It was a wonderful end to a brilliant (if exhausting) two days and left me feeling so proud, not only of the achievements of Team GB athletes, but also of all the organisers for what was such an efficent and well-run event. It really brought out the best in people, it made everyone in the country so proud to be British (and to show it, for I have never seen so many Union Jacks in my life!) and put a smile on people's faces. In years to come I will be able to say "I was there!" and that fills me with pride.

Well done GB, we done good!

Dorset & Devon - July 2012

Another rather delayed posting, but it's worth waiting for (honest!). This post concerns my short holiday on the south coast in Dorset and Devon. I had previously intended to complete this trip at Easter, but ill health and poor weather made me cancel the trip. Mercifully, things were much improved in July.

I was staying in Weymouth first and so the start of my trip centred around the sights in that vicinity. The two sights I wanted to see most of all were Durdle Door and Old Harry Rocks, two natural rock formations on this most stunning part of the Jurassic coastline. I was not disappointed with either, as they are very impressive geological formations. Perhaps the only draw back was the crowds at Durdle Door, which were significant. The climb at this point is also pretty steep, which I found hurt my knees and back, but recovery came quick and it was worth the pain.

While in Dorset, I also made my way to Portland and enjoyed a bracing walk by Portland Bill Lighthouse. While there I saw the entire German Olympic Saling team, as Weymouth was gearing up for the Olympics in just a few weeks time - Weymouth was the saling centre for the Games.

Weymouth seafront was my final stop before a leisurely and picturesque drive along the Dorset coastline to Devon. On the way I stopped at Abbotsbury Swanery and Sub-tropical Gardens, both of which are well worth a visit.

My destination in Devon was Brixham, a little town that I remembered only vaguely from my childhood, when my grandmother had lived in Paignton. The town is enchanting, with a bustling harbour, complete with a moored tourist tall ship that could be straight out of a pirate tale!

I spent some time in the very beautiful town of Dartmouth (surely one of my favourite places in Devon) and took a drive through Paignton (and down memory lane) on my way to Torquay. This was my last stop before hte drive back home and I visited the Living Coasts attraction, which includes all sort of coastal animal species, including penguins, otters, seal, birds and fish.

Mallorca with the girls - June 2012

Very remiss of me to leave it so long before I update my blog, but finally I'm getting round to posting something about my holiday in Mallorca with the girls.

Perhaps rather different to my usual holiday, this trip took place in during half-term in June 2012 and was a group holiday. I went with my work friends Anne, Suzanne and Karen to Cala D'Or and met up there with some of Suzanne's other friends. The occasion was Suzanne's 40th birthday and the aim was to have a ball together.

I think it's fair to say that we all had different ideas of what makes a holiday, but it all worked out brilliantly. We often went off in small groups during the day, and then gathered all together in a big group in the evening for a meal and some drinks.

My daily travel partner was Anne nd together we made use of the hire car and travelled around the island taking in the sights. Although I had visited the island before, I visited entirely new spots this time around, including an old fashioned train journey to Soller, a visit to Cuevas Del Drach (caves) and a wonderful boat trip from Porto Cristo. Inevitably, a day trip to Palma was also on the cards and Suzanne joined us for some shopping and a visit to the magnificent cathedral, complete with "unique" and amusing commentary from Anne - who can forget the "Holy Goat"!

Evenings were spent with good food, drinks and great company and we laughed and laughed (cocktails may have helped!). There was even time to indulge in a game of crazy golf, which is an experience when in your best frock!

All in all, it was a fab trip with smashing ladies!

Dresden & the Elbe Valley - October 2011

Germany is the 26th nation that I have visited! This is according to my twin brother's rules (i.e. that the UK is one nation - under United Nations rules - and not 4 countries in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). 26 does not sound like a bad number, although compared to my brother's 61 it seems rather paltry!

In any case, my visit to Germany in October 2011 added a new nation to my list of countries visited. Many might seem surprised that in going to Germany I chose Dresden as my destination, rather than Berlin or Munich. There was one reason for my choice and that thing is the Bastei!

Translated as "bastion" in English, the Bastei is a natural phenomenon; an area of pinnacles of rock rising above the River Elbe, just east/south-east of Dresden and close to the border with the Czech Republic. A beautiful book I own lists it as one of the must-see natural wonders of the world. Of course, it is not officially classified as a Natural Wonder of the World and my book includes 501 such places, but its still worth a visit.

The day I visited the Bastei the weather was not kind. However, waterproof clothing spared me the worst of the elements and I made the best of it. Indeed, some of the swirling mist added a mysterious atmospheric deminsion to my visit, even if it did not add to my photos.

The ares is dominated by the Basteibrucke or Bastion Bridge. In years gone by this was made of wood an suspended high above the valley floor between the pinnacles of rock as the photo below atests. Now the bridge is made or brick and rock and is a secure and permanent thoroughfare for the many tourists that visit.

There are also other raised metal walkways between other pinnacles of rock. These give excellent views of the area, provided you can stomach the heights, which I am grateful to say have never been a problem for me.

I'm glad I visited this natural wonder. It is worth the trip. Of course, it would have been better if the weather was improved and if there had been fewer tour groups, but if you get there early you can have the place almost to yourself.

My trip also encompassed time spent in the city of Dresden too. This is a city that was largely destroyed during the Second World War, but in re-building it they have turned its heart into a small yet welcoming city. Some of the architecture is splendid and at night looks particularly impressive when lit up (see below). There are also the typical pubs and cafes on cobbled streets, which make the centre a pleasant way to while away an afternoon or evening. Walks along the River Elbe are also pleasant.

All in all, Dresden is a rather under-rated city. It is not massive, so does not require a long stay, but it is worth a visit, not least for the natural beauty nearby.

Scottish Highlands - July 2011

There are few more beautiful places in the world than the Scottish Highlands; or at least there aren't when the sun is shining! It seems I am something of a lucky charm for Scotland, because whenever I go I seem to be blessed with beautiful weather. This trip to Inverness and the surrounding area followed that fortunate trend.

I opted for the cheap - if not entirely cheerful - overnight coach trip up to Inverness; leaving Birmingham at 2.30am and arriving in Inverness (via Preston, Glasgow and Perth) at midday. I arrived to a beautiful afternoon, with the sun shining and making the River Ness and Inverness Castle look at its most picturesque.

I eased myself into my trip, wandering around the city (which is not large and can comfortably be done entirely on foot) and taking a trip by the river to the little islands that dot the river at one end of the city. It is a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. After an evening Harry Potter fix at the local multiplex (a quick bus ride away) it was off to bed for me to re-charge my batteries after my tiring journey up.

The next day was the main reason for my trip. I opted to take the bus to Cromarty on the Black Isle. At this juncture I must say that the bus service in Inverness is excellent. The website gives easy-to-follow timetable information and links to exactly where bus stops are and the buses seems to run on time which is a novelty compared to where I live!!

Although the sun shone in Inverness, the Black Isle had somewhat cloudier weather, but at least it was dry and I was determined to enjoy myself. I took a walk through the pretty little town and along the beach which I shared with sea birds, including gulls and enchantingly oyster catchers.

My trip out into the Firth was with a company called Ecoventures, who pride themselves on their wildlife friendly operating methods. They will voluntarily keep their distance from the whales, dolphins and porpoise they encounter and allow the animals to decide how close they wish to get. Although we all want to get close, this is by far the best option as boats that chase wildlife can severely stress them and it can lead to fewer people seeing that wildlife in the long run. We have to remember that we are visitors in their backyard; not the other way around. Ecoventures are quick to stress that no wildlife sightings are guaranteed, but a quick check of their whiteboard shows that almost every trip encounters dolphins and on the few that did not they saw porpoise instead.

With that in mind I was reasonably confident and that confidence was well placed as we had not been going more than 10 minutes before we saw our first dolphins. This pod seemed to be rather spread out, so it's hard to judge how many we saw, but I think it must have been at least 6 dolphins of varying ages. I did my best to photograph and video them, although this is harder said than done, as you never know where they will pop up next! Here's what I got though.



Dolphins

I still had two more days in the Highlands and for this I decided that hiring a car was the most effective way to see the area and get a little further away. My Hyundai i10 and I set off for the Cairngorms National Park with the sun cracking the skies! I headed for the RSPB Osprey Centre at Loch Garten first, which proved to be the only play in the Highlands where I encountered any midges and even there they were not very troublesome. I saw the female Osprey and one of the fledglings on the nest and also enjoyed the other varied bird life at the feeders, as well as a cheeky red squirrel.

From Loch Garten I drove to Loch Morlich for lunch beside the beautiful lake and then onto the nearby Reindeer Centre. Reindeer were introduced to the Cairngorms many years ago and with careful management the herd is flourishing. A small group of us went up on the hill to meet a small herd of about 28 male reindeer (the females and calves were out roaming freely). Here you are permitted to touch and feed these gentle creatures and it is a wonderful way to spend an hour and a half.

My last stop of the day was back to the coast, via Aviemore. I enjoyed my tea by Fort George on the coastline and watched the sun sink lower to the horizon on what had been a hot and sunny day and which had seen me even get a little sun burned!!!

My last day in Scotland saw me again drink in the beauty of the coastline. This time I headed back to the Black Isle and to Chanonry Point, a place renowned for its dolphin watching. This is where two spits of land jut out on either side of the Moray Firth, forming a very narrow channel. I believe it is a good spot for fish, hence the popularity with the dolphins and they can be viewed from the shore. Sadly the dolphins did not put up an appearance while I was there, but it was still a very pleasant place to enjoy a walk.

Heading back to Inverness to return the car, there was just time for me to take an afternoon coach and boat trip to Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness. Although very busy with tourists, this is a very pretty area and definitely worth a visit.

That was all I had time for really, so it was back to Birmingham overnight by coach again, following a very pleasant short break in the Highlands.

The Danube - May/June 2011

Witsun is the ideal time for a holiday; the football season has just ended, its half-term at College and the weather is often very good (not too hot and not too cold). This Whitsun, I chose to take a trip to the River Danube, encompassing three countries and both cities and countryside. This trip included Hungary, Austria and Slovakia, two of which were new countries to me.

I started off in Budapest, where I spent a day and a half wandering the streets in hot and sunny weather. I took the funicular railway (or Siklo) up the hill to look around the palace, Mattias Church and Fisherman's Bastion. St Stephen's Cathedral and a trip to Margaret Island by boat were also on the agenda. I finished off the day with a soothing dip at Gellert Baths, with its beautiful ornate swimming pool and the thermal plunge pool - just what I needed to relax after trudging the streets!

From Budapest, I took an early morning train to Vienna. Another beuatiful sunny day greeted me in the Austrian capital, as I looked around the city centre, including St Stephen's Cathedral, the Hofburg and Schonbrunn Schloss. At the latter, given my short time there, I elected to bypass the palace itself and focussed my time in the gardens instead. The large grounds are beautiful and include a hot house and the oldest zoo in the world. I spent an hour or so looking round the zoo, in which many of the animals were choosing to shelter from the heat in shade.

Vienna was my base for three days, but I got out of the city during this time, including a day trip east along the Danube to Slovakia. Bratislava is a city of two halves in more ways than one. Once occupied by the Communists, their mark is clearly visible on one side of the Danube as high rise flats line the riverbank. It truly is an eyesore and in direct contrast to the other side of the river, which sees the Old Town of cobbled streets and beautiful architecture remain.

Another day trip was in the other direction from Vienna, west by train to a town called Krems. This was the only part of my trip that did not go entirely to plan; my train was cancelled and replaced with a bus service instead. Given that I speak very little German, I think I did rather well to figure it all out and get to Krems in time for my boat along the Danube. This boat trip was along a section of the Danube known as the Wachau. A relaxing 3 hours spent crusing gently down the river and enjoying a cheeky apricot cake was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. The boat docked in Melk, site of a beautiful Abbey.

That was the last full day or my holiday. The next day saw another early start to get the train back to Budapest and from there I flew home, after a lovely relaxing trip.