Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

Summer of 2022.
Part 8: Our final 3 weeks in Berlin.

Saturday, October 19th, 2024

September 20 to 26, 2022. Berlin, Germany. 

Hayden and Andrea’s. 

We had nothing really planned for this, the final stage in Berlin. 

The first week would be spent at H&As then after that we had rented an apartment, just around the corner. 

Getting to rekindle our friendship with Brianna was top of mind. 

They were moving to their new home in Granada in November, so we were there to help out as much as possible. 

The weather was cooler, so now eating outside wasn’t possible. 

As Hayden and Andrea were working Monday to Friday and Brianna was at Kita, we were free to come and go. 

That is until Brianna came home at 4pm, then it was our turn to keep her occupied. 

Our weekday morning ritual was to wave goodby to Hayden and Brianna and then prepare our breakfast. 

This was usually followed by a walk down to The Barn Coffee Roasters. 

There they made a very acceptable Long Black. 

On our first visit to Berlin this trip, we were regarded as regulars, so much so that they offered me a Loyalty Card. 

September 26 to October 11, 2022. Berlin, Germany. 

Clara Vahlenstein in Vahlenstein’s Distille

Limehome Berlin. 

As I have mentioned our new accommodation wasn’t far from Hayden and Andrea’s place. So it was relatively easy to wheel our luggage there, even over the rough cobblestone paving of the Berlin footpaths. 

Limehome was a comfortable, if little crowded, room with a kitchenette and a good view over Prenzlauer Allee. 

Once we settled in and discovered what was in the place, we went out and shopped. 

We were going to be self catering for the next two weeks – well mostly. 

That night we popped into our favourite German restaurant, Metzer Eck, just for old times sake. 

The weather has turned cold and it was threatening rain so we figured we had better eat inside. 

When we walked in, we were treated like old friends and immediately given a table. It was only after we had been there a while and people were being turned away, that we realised it was booked out. 

We then looked at the sign on our table, which read: ‘Reserved for friends’

We did feel special.

Metzer Eck has a proud history in Berlin. 

This family owned bar and restaurant has been on the same corner of Straẞburger and Metzer Strasse for over 110 years.

It was opened by a housemaid, Clara Vahlenstein, in 1913, after she had a lottery win.

It was then known as Vahlenstein’s Distille and was a restaurant come pub and very popular in the area.

The pub survived the First World War, the Depression and the Third Reich.

After the clean up from the Second World War it was given it was given its current name, Metzer Eck.

In 1951 Clara Vahlenstein died and the business passed to her daughter, Charlotte. In 1957 Charlotte’s daughter Bärbel joined the business.

In 2000, Bärbel son Horst Falkner, the great-grandson of the founder, took over the restaurant with his wife Sylvia.

After a short illness, Horst died in 2007, leaving the business to Sylvia, who is still running it today.

It’s certainly not a flashy place, its just a good, honest Berlin restaurant that specialises in excellent, yet simple, German fair.

Living right on one of the busiest streets in Berlin, we were constantly reminded of the city by the ubiquitous sound of emergency vehicles racing past. 

In Berlin these sirens greet you when you arrive and farewell you on departure. 

As I have mentioned before, even Brianna can mimic the sound of a Berlin siren.

When we were wandering around at the start of our first visit to Berlin, we came across a cafe called ‘Daisies’. We wondered if it was owned by the Daisy who ran the Coffee Room next door to Hayden and Andrea’s apartment. 

Daisies was down in Mitte and one day we decided to go and check it out. 

The woman who owned it might have been Daisy but she certainly wasn’t the one we knew.

Our Daisy was very English, while this one was very Chinese. 

Unfortunately coffee wasn’t worth the walk. 

However the area was.

This part of Berlin looks more like a small German village square than part of the capital city.

Einstein Kaffee is a chain of coffee shops in Germany. They became our go-to place when the more specialist places weren’t available.

The coffee was good, staff friendly and there was always a place to sit.

As common as the emergency vehicles sirens are in Berlin, is the pedestrian crossing Amplelmann or ‘Little traffic light man’.

These characters were developed in East Berlin in 1961 by traffic psychologist, Karl Peglau (1927-2009)

They are now everywhere in Berlin and not just on the eastern side of the city.

Another observation about Berlin, is just how slow building construction is.

When we last visited Hayden and Andrea, in 2019, the block opposite their apartment was a building site – it still is and doesn’t look as though it will be finished any time soon.

In 2019 and again now, in 2022, we visited Kaschk by BRŁØ. It’s a coffee and craft beer cafe. 

Good coffee in the morning and good beer at night – what more do you need.

We certainly were leaving Berlin with more luggage than when we arrived. 

So a lot of our last days were spent trying to squeeze it all into our suitcases. 

We were up early on our final day and got a taxi to the airport. 

Our trip home was firstly Berlin to Barcelona, on Vueling and then Barcelona to Dubai and then Dubai to Melbourne, with Emirates. 

All in all it was about 22 hours in the air and 5 hours waiting. 

That’s a very long time sitting on your bum.

In summery it’s been a strange trip. 

The highlights being, time with Hayden and Andrea and watching Brianna grow and mature, two weeks in Portugal with Ev, Steph and Aida and having the entire family together in Granada for Brianna’s third birthday. 

The travelling has also been interesting and, in many respects, an eye opener. 

The open support of Germany towards Ukraine and growing distrust and dislike of Russia.  

Seeing Portugal again after so many years and traversing England, Scotland, Ireland (both north and south) and Wales. 

The shock of the continuing troubles in Northern Ireland and the surprise in the prosperity that’s over the border to the south.

And of course the continuing decline of England. 

The sad state of their economy and their disfunctional government. 

All this was tempered by Thea’s unfortunate illness and hospitalisation in Barcelona, which resulted in us missing out on Cam and Fran’s wedding in Italy. 

Summer of 2022.
Part 7: Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Friday, September 27th, 2024

England and Scotland.

BrewDog in Bristol (One of two – what a lucky city)

July 27, 2022. Berlin, Germany to Bristol England. 

Today we were off to tour England and Scotland, then North and South Ireland and Wales.

To get to the airport we again we used our €9 monthly ticket.

We arrived at Berlin’s Brandenburg airport much too early, so had time to kill.

Once the check-in and boarding process started, we found that security was a shambles. 

There were no instructions about what to do but you got yelled at if you did the wrong thing. 

Then our Easy Jet flight was forty minutes late in leaving.

All in all it wasn’t a great experience.

Once in Bristol we got from the airport to our accommodation, The Ashville, without any issues.

The taxi service was private and you paid up front, once you gave them the destination. 

In the afternoon we walked into Bristol to get a United Kingdom SIM card and some equipment to monitor Thea’s recovery progress. 

The Ashville turned out to be a steak house as well as hotel. If we had known, we would have booked a table for that night’s dinner.

However when we enquired we discovered that it was booked out.

We then went looking for dinner in Bristol but in the process happened upon a Brew Dog Craft brewery and had a pint. Well Thea had a glass of wine and I had a pint and bloody good beer it was as well.

Most of the restaurants seemed to only be serving drinks, not food. 

Eventually we found Pitcher and Piano, which was right in the dock area of the River Avon.

It had a very mixed cuisine, that wasn’t that bad. 

Little did we know just how hard it would be to find an evening meal in England.

 

Banksy in Bristol (Well Hung Lover)

July 28, 2022. Bristol England. 

In the morning we went searching for Banksy in Bristol. This trail was suggested in the tourist guides as Bristol is regarded as a good place to see his street art.

Banksy is an anonymous street artist who started working in Bristol’s underground scene around 1990.

We felt it wrong to pay £5 each to get an app showing his art, especially when he has never wanted it to be commercialised. 

Thea then found a map, showing the location of his art, on the internet and that was free. 

Following this map also gave us an opportunity to explore Bristol. 

It was graduation time at the Bristol University and there were academic gowns everywhere. As well as frocked up young ladies and besuited young men. 

We then found Java for a lunchtime coffee. 

This was a very comfortable restaurant, bar and deli, with huge seating area, all fitted out with leather armchairs. 

How very British. 

We then continued to wander around the city and came across the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Opened in 1884, this 412 metre wide bridge spans the Avon River at a height of 101 metres. It was designed in 1830 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, (1806-1859) a British civil engineer and mechanical engineer, who never got to see his design completed.

Just up the hill from the bridge is the Clifton Observatory. 

Completed in 1766, it was formerly a mill and has had various owners.

It is currently owned by Honorbrook Inns, who were obliged to maintain public access to the camera obscura. 

From there we continued our walk and finished up down at the Bristol Docks.

There we saw another of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s designs, the SS Great Britain.

This was launched in 1883 and owned by the Great Western Steamship Company.

This steamship was the largest passenger liner in the world from 1845 to 1854 and transported passengers from Bristol to New York City. 

It was also full of maritime innovations, like a iron hull and screw propulsion, all courtesy of Brunel.

No wonder he was known as the the Architect of Bristol.

The last tourist event of the day was finding another Banksy. This one was just a painted statement on a factory wall. 

Since it was first created the wall has had a door put in but the art still remains intact. 

Now it’s very disjointed and certainly not as Banksy intended. 

Before we returned to the hotel we stopped at Brewdog at Harbour Side for a pre dinner beverage. 

What a lucky city Bristol is to have two Brewdogs. 

This Scottish craft brewery chain is extremely socially aware and very innovative. 

This particular one shares 50% of the profits with its staff, has tampons and pads in the gender neutral toilets. It even has a bike station, on site, and a place to lock up your bike as well. 

And finally, ‘K9 Hydration Station’ inside the pub.  

That night we ate in at The Ashville.

There was no point staying at a steak house without at least trying the food.

It was rather good and certainly not hard to get back to our rooms afterwards.

July 29, 2022. Bristol to Seahouses, England. 

After breakfast and then checking out, we got an Uber to pick us up and take us to Enterprise Rent-A-Car, where we were due to pick up our rental.

The Uber was not a pleasant experience.

The driver wouldn’t get out to help us, the car was dirty and full of crap. Also Thea’s seatbelt was missing in the back seat and she had to sit in the middle. 

Our rental car was late arriving at Enterprise, so we had to hang around and wait about an hour.

We were not happy about this, as we had to drive from Bristol in the south west to Seahouses in the north east.

When our car eventually arrived, it was a five door Vauxhall Crossland SUV, six speed manual.

I could see that I was going to spend most of my driving time in Britain changing gears.

It was just over 550 km to the coastal town of Seahouses. 

Because we were tight on time, we took the motorways, however it was still a very slow trip, with constant stops. 

Once we reached Seahouses, we couldn’t get into our guest house, as the door had been double locked.

Fortunately the host had a mate, who lived close by and he came and sorted it out.

After having to miss out on the wedding in Rome, we decided to catch up with Rob and Lorraine. 

They were travelling around Britain, as part of their post wedding holiday and this was the only opportunity we had to see them.

Hence the long drive.

Fortunately they had booked an Italian restaurant for dinner, as it was very crowded. 

It wasn’t a late dinner, so I worked a bit once we were back in the room.

 

Bamburg Castle

July 30, 2022. Seahouses, England. 

Today was going to be spent touring the local area with Rob and Lorraine and the first stop was Bamburgh Castle.

Built in the 11th Century this area has a lot of history. 

Before the castle was built on the site, it was home to a fort of the indigenous Celtic Britons from 420 to 547 AD.

They were known as Din Guarie.

Lord William Armstrong, an exceptional scientist, engineer and inventor purchased Bamburgh in 1894.

He is regarded as the inventor of modern artillery and had a lot to do with the development of hydroelectricity.

The castle is home to his unique collection of artwork, ceramics and objets d’art.

Lunch was at the Copper Kettle Tearooms in Bamburgh Village.

In the afternoon we walked on the Bamburgh Beach and then continued on to the Harkess Rocks Lighthouse, which is right on the point at the end of the beach. 

The rather cuboid building, with the lighthouse on top, does have a very comical face.

That night it was a pre dinner drinks at the Ye Old Ship Inn, with a great Neck Oil Session IPA from Beavertown Brewery.

We then had dinner at a local Indian Brassiere, with small portions and not a lot of flavour.

A bit of a disappointing end to an adventurous day.

July 31, 2022. Seahouses, England to Inverness, Scotland. 

After leaving the Grahams in Seahouses, we had another day of driving, this time to Inverness in Scotland. It was just under 400 km and a much easier drive than we had from Bristol. 

What made it more pleasant, was that we weren’t on motorways and the scenery was much more interesting. 

The other plus was that there weren’t the holdups we experienced coming north. 

Once we got into the room at the Smithton Hotel we then had a drive around Inverness. 

The GPS had no idea where the centre of town was. Which wasn’t surprising considering it was in a pedestrian area. 

Dinner was at the hotel. 

The beer offering was rather weird, with English, Irish, French, Scottish, Italian and, the formerly Australian brand, Fosters. 

It’s strange that this formerly iconic Australian, that’s the largest selling Australian brand in the world, is dead at home but still lives on in the United Kingdom.

 

The Highlands with Loch Knockie

August 1, 2022. Inverness, Scotland. 

The morning was spent planning our next moves and then we had a drive around Loch Ness. 

Unfortunately no sightings of ‘Nessy’

Loch Ness was quiet on the south, east side but very busy on the other. 

People were starting to travel again after Covid and tourists were everywhere.

We drove to the Falls of Foyers and then into the Highlands where we got a view of Loch Knockie.

Later that afternoon we visited the small village of Drumnadrochit, which sits at the western end of Loch Ness.

The Smithton Hotel was a way out of Inverness so dinner was again in-house.

 

Inverness Castle over the River Ness

August 2, 2022. Inverness, Scotland. 

We drove into Inverness to explore the city and found a city parking station. We didn’t want to be constantly worried about an expired meter.

Our landlord told us not to leave too much time to explore the city, as there wasn’t much to see. 

In a way he was right.

We found a good coffee at Coffee Affair and then afterwards walked around town, then along the River Ness.

The castle was under renovation, so unfortunately not as photogenic as it normally would have been.

It was then a short drive to visit the Clava Cairns, This is a 4,000 years old Bronze Age circular chamber tomb cairn.

There are about 50 of this type around Inverness.

We considered visiting Cawdor Castle, however at A$50 for the two of us, we gave it a miss.

This is our last night in the Smithton Hotel. Where there are more stairs and doors than I’ve ever experienced. 

It was a rabbit warren.

 

Our first glimpse of the Orkney Islands

August 3, 2022. Inverness to Finstown, Orkney Islands, Scotland. 

We were up early for another day of travelling.

Firstly by road to the port of Stromness, then by the NorthLink ferry, Hamnavoe, to Scrabser and finally back on the road again to Flinstown, near Kirkwall. 

This is in the Orkney group of islands, situated in the very north east of Scotland. 

Getting accommodation in this region has not been easy. In fact the only reason we found the ‘Shepherd’s Hut’ was via the suggestion of another place, that was booked out. 

This cottage had only just come onto the market and the owner hadn’t been able to get a listing on Bookings.com or Airbnb. 

It was set up for self catering, so we were back to cooking for ourselves for a change. 

This trip to the Orkney Islands has been on the wish list for some time. 

Within this group are the Islands of North and South Ronsldsay. 

Our family home in Hampton was called Ronsldsay or Ronaldshay and was named by the origin owner, after his place of origin in Scotland.

He was a sheep farmer in the Western District of Victoria and, not surprisingly, the islands of Ronaldsay are famous for their sheep.

Apparently those sheep live off seaweed.

The house was his city retreat and fitted out with servants quarter and bells in the billiard room to summon them.

He clearly wasn’t struggling.

‘The Pub With No Beer’ is a well known Australian song by Slim Dusty. 

Well we are in a ‘town with no pub’

After settling into our very small accommodation in Flinstown, we decided that we needed to find a Scottish pub and have a pre dinner drink. 

Easier said than done. 

There was nothing in nearby Kirkwall, and this is the largest town on the Main Island. So we drove back to Stromness and found the Ferry Inn. 

Like everywhere within the town it was packed, luckily we were only having a drink, as standing at the bar was our only option. 

Brexit clearly has something to answer for, as so many places we had visited were struggling to find staff and either shut or operating on limited opening hours.

 

FD68 ZNU near Marwick

August 4, 2022. Finstown, Orkney Islands, Scotland. 

A drive around the Main Island, starting with Neolithic Orkney.

This is the name given to this area by UNESCO in 1999, after it was proclaimed a World Heritage Site.

The history here goes back 5,500 to 6,000 years.

Within the area is the Ness of Brodgar, the Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brogdar.

Around the world middens are very important in archeological digs.

A midden is really just a dumping ground for peoples waste but when they are excavated centuries later, they shine a very bright light on just how the locals lived at the time.

The Ness of Brodgar, is an archaeological dig that dates from 3,500 BC.

Here digging up the middens is imperative to tracing the history of the people and the area.

Farming is a way of life here and has been since before time. They are constantly discovering just how resourceful the locals were back then.

We tried to get to the Ring of Brogdar but the rain had arrived and it was just too wet.

We visited the Orkney Brewery for lunch, all washed down by a tasting paddle of their excellent craft beer.

In the afternoon we visited Saint Magnus Church (1664) and then Earl Robert’s Palace (1574)

We finally ended the day at the Rendall Doocot (1668).

A Doocot is a structure designed to house pigeons, which would provide food for the owner’s family.

This one was constructed in the ‘beehive’ style and still has some residents.

It was then back to our tiny room to cook the evening meal, which wasn’t pigeon.

 

The Italian Chapel

August  5, 2022. Finstown, Orkney Islands, Scotland.

Touring again today, this time to the island of South Ronaldsay. 

Our first stop was the Churchill Barriers and Italian Chapel, these were both a consequence of WWII. 

The Churchill Barriers, built between May 1940 and September 1944, were designed as a defence to protect the anchorage at Scapa Flow.

Now they have become roads links between the islands, however you are still reminded of their original purpose by the occasional upturned hull of a sunken ship.

Of the four barriers there are only two remaining. This is a result of bad weather and rising water levels due to climate change.

The Italian Chapel, on the other hand, is in beautiful condition.

This highly decorative Catholic chapel was built by Italian prisoners of war, who were housed on the island, while they built the Churchill Barriers. The chapel was only completed after the war and then restored in the 1960s.

It was built using two Nissen huts joined end-to-end. The interior corrugated tin walls and ceiling were covered in plaster board and then decorated.

Most of the interior was painted by Domenico Chiocchetti an Italian prisoner from Moena.

We then drover to the very south of South Ronaldsay and explored the small village of Burwick. 

After dinner, back in the cabin, we spent the evening working. 

I had a few jobs for BTB, while Thea tried booking the next part of our stay in Scotland. 

This wasn’t easy as so much was booked out. 

 

Scara Brae (Europe’s best preserved stone village) 5,000 years old

August  6, 2022. Finstown, Orkney Islands, Scotland. 

First task was to visit the the Brig Larder to get dinner.

We had discovered this amazing food store a couple of days earlier when we briefly explored the small town of Kirkwall. 

It specialised in the local foods from the Orkney region and there was a huge variety to choose from.

Then some more sightseeing. 

First stop was Scara Brae, dating back 5,000, this is Europe’s best preserved and most complete Neolithic stone village.

It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Giza.

There are ten clusters of houses, that even have a primitive sewerage system with flushing toilets and drains in each house.

It was discovered after a storm in 1850 and unfortunately, due to climate change, is under threat today.

After that we visited Skaill House, which overlooks Scara Brae.

Originally started in 1620, by Bishop George Graham (1565–1643), it has been extended over the years and is now a three story mansion spread over a large area.

It had rained all day so we decided to get a drink at the Orkney Brewery – again. 

This place was becoming a regular.

Well it was warmer and dryer than being outside and the beer is good.

It’s owned by Sinclair Breweries, which is the parent company of Orkney and Atlas Ales.

Founded in 1988 it is one of the oldest microbreweries in Scotland.

The brewery supplies beers to UK, Europe, Australia, Canada and the USA.

Unfortunately I haven’t found any of their beers in Australia yet.

We were going to go to the local restaurant by the lake for lunch but decided that there was still too much to see. So we kept on sightseeing right through the afternoon.

That nigh was another dinner in the hut, all from the food purchased earlier at the Brig Larder. 

As I looked out the window onto the green fields, with the grazing cows, I realised that this area has been farmed for well over 5,000 years. 

 

Ring of Brodgar (3,000 BC)

August  7, 2022. Finstown, Orkney Islands, to Thurso, Scotland. 

We checked out of the Shepherd’s Hut, which involved locking the doors and driving away and then drove into Kirkwall, where we had real trouble finding a coffee. 

Nothing was open. 

Then to the Ring of Brodgar, which we had tried to visit before but were stopped by the rain. 

This Neolithic stone circle, built between 2500 BC and 2000 BC, is the largest in Scotland and regarded as one of the world’s finest.

It is very wide, with a diameter of 103.7 metres. The stones are laid in a perfect circle around the perimeter.

We arrived at Stromness but were far too early to catch the ferry, so we walked around this quaint harbour town. 

It didn’t take long. 

Then we boarded the boat to Thursto.

That night we were staying at the Manor House and would be there for a couple of nights.

 

Duncansby Head

August  8, 2022. Thurso, Scotland. 

It was Cafe Olive for breakfast, where they had a very interesting take on Avocado Toast. 

Unfortunately their espresso machine was broken, so we had to find our coffee elsewhere. 

When we did find one, it was expensive rubbish. 

We then drove to John O’ Groats, Britain’s most northern point. 

At lunchtime Thea had a Scottish scone and I had another coffee, hoping it would be better than the morning one. 

It wasn’t, so this had become a bad coffee day. 

We then drove to Duncansby Head and walked to view the Knee, Gibbs, Pedie and Muckle Stacks. 

‘Duncansby’ what a wonderful amalgamation of my middle and surname. 

I truly must have Scottish heritage. 

On returning to Thurso, we decided we needed to find the tourist information centre, then get petrol and some cash. 

We found a servo easily enough and the petrol price was cheaper than down south. 

The information centre was closed and this was only 4pm on a weekday in August, at the height of the tourist season. 

Even one of the nearby ATMs was shut. 

I think everyone has gone on holidays. 

We had dinner at the Pentlandite hotel. 

The meal was fine but what was a surprise was the American tourists who were dining near us. 

When the time came to pay, they were offering a 20% tip. The bar staff didn’t know how to cope with it and suggested putting money in the ‘Tip Box’. 

It’s this ignorance of local customs by the Yanks that screws it up for us all. 

Now everyone who comes into the pub and speaks a ‘strange’ version of English will be expected to tip 20%. 

 

Coast Coffee van

August  9, 2022. Thurso to Ullapool, Scotland. 

It was third time lucky, with coffee at Coast, a caravan on the main road. 

This little pop up van served a great cup of espresso. So much so that we decided to forgo another cup during the day, so as not to ruin the taste of our first one. 

It wasn’t a long drive to Ullapool but it was a tricky one.

There were long stretches of single lane, narrow, roads. You could only pass at the designated ‘Passing Points’ and there were busses and many motor homes to squeeze past. 

Many of the vehicles were from Europe, so you had to see what side the driver was on before you waved acknowledgement of their courtesy. 

Most of the drivers were good and didn’t show the usual impatience. 

We arrived in Ullapool around 3:30pm and decided to check out our dinner options. 

Even then, everywhere seemed to be packed so we went and checked into our B&B and headed straight back into town. 

I think we were in for an early dinner. 

The Ferry Boat Inn was the closest and had a good menu. It also had great views looking over the harbour. 

Thea had tried to book a table at the Ferry Boat Inn, by phone, a few day ago but was told they only accepted ‘walk-ins’. 

When we arrived the place had a couple of tables reserved but the rest were empty. However when people came in and tried to book they were told that it was full. 

Apparently it’s all due to staff shortages again. 

 

Passing Places

August  10, 2022. Ullapool, Scotland. 

Ullapool is not cheap. 

Last night’s dinner and this morning’s breakfast have been the most expensive, so far, on this trip. 

I think the locals are making up for lost time – and money. 

We visited Knockan Crag in the early afternoon. 

This crag became a huge debating point amongst geologist during the nineteenth century.

It became known as the ‘Highlands Controversy’ because it appeared that the rocks at the top of the crag were older than those below and were from a different age.

In the end it was the geologists, John Horne and Ben Peach, who discovered the reason for this upside down geological wonder.

They demonstrated that the strange phenomenon was the result of a ‘Thrust Fault’. This was where a tectonic action had caused the older rocks to be moved 70 kilometres to the west to cover the younger rocks.

Our science lesson was then followed by an afternoon coffee at the Elfin Tearooms. 

Yes, the tearooms had an espresso machine, but it’s no wonder, the owner was an Australian. 

And the coffee was great. 

Then, after that a ‘wee’ drive to Achiltibuie. 

We had dinner, which was simple but good and then met Fergie and Sambo at the bar in the Arch Inn. 

This was a disaster, of the best kind. 

These two locals had not only visited Australia but had relatives living there. They wanted to chat and drink and insisted on buying us rounds, even though we objected. 

In the end I spoke to the barman, who was a friend of theirs, and gave him some money to buy them a round, when next they were in. I was sure that wouldn’t be too far away. 

I hope they got my shout.

 

Bridge by Sir John Fowler (designer of the Forth Rail Bridge)

August  11, 2022. Ullapool to Fort William, Scotland. 

We we’re staying in a B&B in Ullapool but there was one problem. 

They only provided the bed, not the breakfast. 

This was compounded by the fact that finding breakfast in town was difficult. 

So, on our second day, it was a takeaway, sitting on a bench, in the main street.

We did get a good coffee afterwards at the Cult Cafe. This was the expensive venue for yesterday’s breakfast. 

Off to Fort William today. 

On the way we stopped for a stroll in Lael Forest Garden. Developed in 1800s it boasts 200 different species of trees and shrubs. 

Just over the road from the forest walk is an old steel bridge, passing over the River Broom. 

It was designed by Sir John Fowler, designer of the Forth Rail Bridge.

Lunchtime coffee was at the Wee Bun House, near the Glenshiel Bridge. 

The Croit Anna Hotel, our accommodation in Fort William, was a fair distance out of town, so we decided to eat in. 

This was thwarted when we discovered that we should have booked on arrival, as it was full. 

We then decided to get a taxi into town. Again this wasn’t to be as they either didn’t answer of weren’t available. 

So we drove. 

I had noticed a brew pub, on the way to the hotel and decided to go there. 

It was so crowded that the patrons were eight deep at the bar. 

However just near where we had parked the car we had noticed an Indian restaurant, Spice Tandoori, so we finished up there instead. 

It was huge inside and very efficient with its service. 

The food was also rather good. 

After dinner we walked around the main shopping area and it looked pretty interesting. 

We will have to return. 

Our remote hotel was the result of scarce accommodation availability. 

Crowds and scarcity of eating options have been a constant reminder of everyone’s rush to get back to travelling. 

Especially by the Europeans, they are everywhere in the Scottish Highlands.

 

The decent

August  12, 2022. Fort William, Scotland. 

The weather was improving as we headed south. 

I could be back into shorts soon. 

Back in the walking street in Fort William, that we explored the previous evening, we found ‘The Wildcat’ a vegan cafe that served sustainably sourced coffee. 

Then it was off to discover Ben Nevis. At 1,343 Metres high, it’s the highest mountain in all of Great Britain, not just Scotland.

You don’t climb Ben Nevis but get a gondola to the viewpoints, where you look at it from a distance.

This was the only mountain gondola system in the UK. 

Since 2016 the system has been powered by hydroelectricity. 

When we reached the viewpoint, Ben Nevis was actually behind us and rather unimpressive. 

It may be the tallest mountain but not by much. 

It was then off to the Commandos Memorial, who trained in the area between 1940 and 1945.

It was unveiled in 1952, as a result of a competition won by Scott Sutherland (1910-1984) who caste it in bronze.

We decided to go back Into town for dinner and booked a taxi early. 

It was meant to arrive in 20-25 minutes and it came in 30.

Not too bad. 

Dinner was at the Ben Nevis Hotel, how fitting. 

Afterwards we finely got to the Black Isle Brewpub and I had an IPA, which was great. 

The first draught craft beer I’d had in a while. 

Getting a cab back to the hotel was another interesting experience. 

The cabs were so hard to find, that we ended up sharing one with a couple of other people. One of our fellow passengers was a staff member at the Croit Anna Hotel, the same one we were staying at.

She happened to be from Ukraine and had a few good stories to tell us on the journey home.

 

Loch Lomond

August  13, 2022. Fort William to Glasgow, Scotland. 

We were off to Glasgow for four nights and staying not far from the centre of town. 

On the way we drove past Lochs Eil and Lomond and then the Loch Sloy Hydro-electric power station.

This power station was built from 1949 to 1951 and is one of the largest.

We then continued our journey into Glasgow.

Once we had settled into our hotel, The Holiday Inn Express, we had a pre-dinner walk around the city to get ourselves acclimatised.

Glasgow isn’t the capital of Scotland, that’s Edinburgh, but it is the largest city and in fact one of the largest cities in Europe, It was the European Capital of Culture in 1990.

There are two distinct walking areas, near our hotel. 

Sauchiehall Street, which is rather run down and down-market. Then there is the West Nile Street area that is full of up-market shops, restaurants and arcades. 

We popped in for a pint (well that’s what I had) at the Shilling Brewing Company on George Street.

This was another brewpub and the first to be established in Glasgow.

Located in the former Art Deco premises of the Commercial Bank of Scotland, it was a real brewpub experience, with brewing equipment and over 30 craft brews on tap.

Dinner was at Döner Haus, a German, Turkish fusion restaurant. 

Strange but good.

 

The Peoples Palace (1898)

August  14, 2022. Glasgow, Scotland. 

Breakfast was in the hotel, as it was included in the room rate. 

It was a Sunday so the streets were quiet. That’s until we got to the walking streets and they were still very crowded, as many of the shops were open. 

Heavy rain was promised later in the day, so we headed out to do some more exploring. 

Coffee was our first task – of course. 

Then we walked through the park besides the River Clyde, and up to the Peoples Palace. 

Glasgow Green, surrounding the Peoples Palace, was all fenced off due to the recent World Pipe Band Championships, 2022, so we had to walk the long way round. 

Within the Peoples Palace was an exhibition showing the social development of the city. 

Established in 1898 the People’s Palace was originally built as a peoples refuge, as this part of Glasgow was regarded as one of the poorest.

Since the 1940s it has been a museum of social history, which was reflected by the exhibition that was currently showing.

Then it was back into the centre and our hotel. 

Some onward planning was required. 

Dinner was O’ Sole Mio, an Italian restaurant. This wasn’t surprising as there were a lot around the Theatreland area, where we were staying. 

But before that we returned to the Shilling Brewing Company and this time sat outside. 

The weather was still rather mild. 

However, as we were having dinner, the rain came down and it was torrential.

 

Drum & Monkey

August  15, 2022. Glasgow, Scotland. 

In the morning it was still raining and the temperature had dropped. 

As part of her medical assessment, Thea needed to get another blood test. 

Through Boots the chemist, she had been given a few numbers to contact and arrange the test. 

Success at the first call.

She made an appointment at 11:30am, so the morning coffee went on hold. 

Better not to be caffeinated before a blood test. 

Not much happened in the afternoon as the rain persisted. 

Dinner was at the Drum & Monkey.

This was located on St Vincent Street, in another old bank building, that was converted to an American style pub in the 1920s.

The name Drum & Monkey comes from the area in St Vincent Street that marks the British sea victory over the Spanish in 1797. Here, travelling showmen would have performing monkeys who would often play a drum.

The service was slow and the food ordinary and expensive. They specialised in pies, so we ordered them. Then it was a long wait until ours arrived and by then they were extremely over cooked.

I think the monkeys might have done a better job.

If we hadn’t paid for the meal up front, we would have walked out. 

In fact, I think that most places now want their money first. They realise that their lack of service and offering would normally result in people walking out if they could. 

I wrote a scathing review on Google, however I doubt it will ever be published. 

As a reward for putting up with the Drum & Monkey we returned, yet again, to the Shilling Brewing Company for a post dinner drink.

This is becoming a favourite. 

Well, the atmosphere, building and drinks are great.

And it’s cheaper than a lot of other places.

After a few days here, I have decided that Glasgow is a great city to visit. 

It’s easy to get around and there is wonderful choice of places to visit. 

Plus the architecture is amazing.

Glasgow is famous for its Victorian architecture and early 20th Century ‘Glasgow Style’ as developed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868 – 1928).

 

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

August  16, 2022. Glasgow, Scotland. 

There was still a constant drizzle in Glasgow. 

We had booked an extra day, so we had to get out and explore some more.

In this sort of weather, the car was the best option. 

We spent some time in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

One of the highlights was an exhibition of the Glasgow Boys. This was a group of young artists that represented the start of Modernism in Scotland in the early 1880s.

Painting ‘en plein air’ was their specialty.

Another interesting exhibit was the Anderson Special, a race car built in the 1930s. 

It was a low slung vehicle that could compete in hill climbs, sprints and country climbs. With 4WD and the engine mounted beneath the floor, it was far ahead of its time.

The museum and gallery were another good opportunity for us to understand Glasgow’s past. 

A  real highlight for us was a small stained glass window, very similar in style and colour to the billiard room windows in 10 Ocean Street in Hampton. 

I often wonder if the sheep farmer from Ronaldshay, who built Ocean Street, sourced his stain glass from Glasgow.

In the afternoon we went chasing ghosts. Thea had arranged a route that passed many of the old areas that my relatives had lived in.

We visited the Smugg Coffee Bar in Hillhead for a late coffee and got parking right out the front, and it was free. 

Hillhead is where my great aunt, on my mother’s side, lived. 

The area was rather nice and probably very similar to what it would have looked like back in the 1920s. 

Well at least the houses. 

Free parking in the UK is rare, as we were alerted to by the landlord of the Smithton Hotel in Inverness.

It was still drizzling when we arrived back at the hotel.

 

The Kelpies (35 metres high)

August  17, 2022. Glasgow to Edinburgh, Scotland. 

It’s only about two hours from Glasgow to Edinburgh but Thea had organised a few side trips along the way. 

Some of these involved more ghost chasing. 

But first another walk down Buchanan Street.

Glasgow Subway Ticket Office, built in 1896, is the third oldest underground metro in the world. The six and a half mile of track was initially cable-hauled until it was electrified in 1935.

An hour and a half out of Glasgow was the Falkirk Wheel, built in 2004, it connects the Union Canal to the Forth and Clyde Canal. 

It’s the world’s first and only rotating boat lift. 

It rotates 180° in under 5 minutes and can carry the weight of 100 elephants.

‘The Kelpies’ were next but they aren’t dogs, as you would expect by the name.

This is a 35 metre tall sculpture of two stallion heads and is just near the Forth and Clyde Canal.

Completed in 2013, by the sculptor Andy Scott. They are said to represent the heavy horses of Scottish industry and economy pulling wagons, ploughs, barges and coal ships that shaped the land of the Falkirk area.

Whatever you say Andy!

Then it was ghost chasing time as we weaved our way to Edinburgh. 

Teuchters Landing for dinner.

This was a brew pub, on the docks and only 6 minutes walk from our hotel. 

Most of the seating was either outside or exposed to the weather. 

Lucky we took our coats. 

The food choice was wide, as was the range of beers and wines. 

Again there was a large contingent of Europeans. 

Scotland seems to be the alternative destination this summer. 

 

The Palace of Holyroodhouse (One mile down from Edinburgh Castle)

August  18, 2022. Edinburgh, Scotland. 

In Edinburgh we were staying at the Holiday Inn Express. This was right near the waterfront. 

We stayed with the same hotel group in Glasgow and were very pleased with the staff and service. 

The same applied in Edinburgh.

Breakfast was included and rooms were clean, spacious and comfortable.

It was Clock On The Shore for morning coffee. This was a local coffee shop a short walk from the hotel.

We then got the bus into town. 

The bus driver seemed to be a ‘Grumpy Bum’ as he snarled at the other drivers and wasn’t that friendly to some of the passengers. 

However Thea engaged him in conversation and he was a different person. 

After leaving the bus we then walked up to Edinburgh Castle. From there we did the Royal Mile.

This runs from the castle to The Palace of Holyroodhouse and is exactly one mile or 1.6 km. 

It was first popularised in 1901 by W. M. Gilbert’s ‘Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century’. Here he described it as the city with a castle and a palace with the royal mile between.

After walking the Royal Mile we then walked a few more miles back to our hotel. 

Dinner was at the King’s Wark, originally built in 1534 for King James 1, as his residence and armoury.

This was a last resort for dinner, as many places were either shut or booked out.

It turned out to be a good choice. 

Unfortunately the beer wasn’t great so we finished off the night back at Teuchers Landing. 

This was where we had dinner the previous night. 

The beer was great and the wine cold, so we were both happy.

 

The Royal Yacht Britannia

August  19, 2022. Edinburgh, Scotland. 

Morning coffee at ‘Irish Dude Coffee and Food’. 

It wasn’t easy to find because of the roadworks surrounding our hotel. 

These works are due to the construction of a new tram line from Edinburgh, to the Ocean Terminal, which is right next to our hotel. 

They were started in 2019 and are expected to be completed next year.

Due to the works, we struggled to get to our hotel when we first arrived. Now just walking around the area is difficult, as the usual pedestrian access has been blocked.

Once we did find a way around, we then walked to the Royal Yacht Britannia.

There we booked an audio tour, which lasted about 90 minutes and despite the crowd was very efficient. 

The yacht is moored next to the Ocean Terminal shopping complex and you actually board from there. 

Britannia was built in 1954 by Queen Elizabeth II and was decommissioned in 1997. 

During her 43 year career the yacht travelled over one million nautical miles around the world, visiting 600 ports in 135 countries.

Dinner was at The Barologist, a pub in the house of a former inventor, George ‘Geordie’ Armstrong, also known as, Ulysses G Houston. 

It appears from information on the pubs website that he was friends with Phileas Fogg, who is a fictitious character created by Jules Verne and Johnnie Walker (1805–1857) maker of the famous whisky. 

He lived in the house, now pub, between 1884 and 1904, which I only discovered after finding a plaque on an outside wall.

I did question the staff as to the history of the place but was greeted by blank stares. 

This all leads me to believe that the entire story of the Barologist is made up. 

However it still makes for interesting conversation and conjecture.  

One thing we have noticed in the UK, so far, is that the beer and wine are never really cold and the food lacks flavour. 

There seems to be a fear of adding herbs and spices to any food. 

The Brits never want to offend, or as Monty Python often said “Sorry”.

However the hot water in the hotels and public conveniences is usually boiling.

 

Colinton Tunnel

August  20, 2022. Edinburgh, Scotland to Carlisle, England. 

Today we were travelling to Carlisle, which was just over two hours to the south.

Or first stop was in Colinton, which was still within the city of Edinburgh. There we found the Colinton Tunnel. This is Scotland’s largest mural, which was created as a community art project in an abandoned railway tunnel. 

The art work is stunning.

Rosslyn Chapel, in the village of Roslin, was our next stop.

This was made famous in Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code in 2003.

There was a theory that this Catholic church had a connection to the Knights Templar, the Holy Grail and Freemasonry, all subjects featured in Brown’s book.

This is a fact that Medieval historians deny ever happening.

Why spoil a good story with the truth.

Unfortunately we couldn’t get in as it was booked out for the day. We hadn’t pre booked tickets and a time slot, as it was a last minute decision to go. 

Another result of this summer’s frantic tourist invasion. 

We were staying in an AirBnB in Carlisle. So once we got into our rooms and established what was provided and what wasn’t, we headed off to shop and found a huge Sainsbury, with a car park that was relatively close by. 

We had a kitchen once again, so dinner was eaten in.

 

Hadrian’s Wall (AD122)

August  21, 2022. Carlisle, England. 

After breakfast in our apartment, we went out to find coffee, as usual. 

We ended up at Espresso Hub, a cafe and coffee roaster in the Lanes Shopping Centre area. 

A coffee roaster!

This looked promising, unfortunately the coffee wasn’t great. 

We then went wandering around trying to find the best off-street parking near our rooms for tomorrow. 

Our AirBnB allowed us to use office parking spaces, close by, during the weekend but we had to find an alternative during working hours and this was a Sunday. 

In the afternoon we drove to Hadrian’s Wall.

We were going to explore this on the previous day, while travelling to Carlisle, but the weather was just too wet. 

Hadrian’s Wall, built around AD122, ran for 117km across the width of Scotland. 

It was built as a frontier defence of Britannia, by the Roman Emperor, Hadrian, against the ravaging hoards of the north. 

It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

We then stopped off at Lanercost Priory, which was founded by Robert de Vaux between 1165 and 1174.

One of its claims to fame, is that the Lanercost Chronicles, which were a history of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence, were written by the monks of the priory.

 

Carlisle Castle (1093)

August  22, 2022. Carlisle, England. 

Raining again. 

While Europe, and even some parts of the UK have sweltered this summer, we seemed to have mostly copped cool and wet conditions. 

I prefer the warmth. 

Once we sorted out our parking, as it was now Monday, we walked to Carlisle Cathedral.

It was first founded as an Augustinian priory and became a cathedral in 1133. It’s the second smallest of England’s ancient cathedrals and decorated in the Gothic style.

Carlisle Castle was next.

This Medieval stone fortress was built by William II in 1092.

For over 930 years this fortress has been a centre of war and invasion.

It was the last English fortress to undergo a siege, which was during the Jacobite Rising of 1745/6.

After the cathedral and castle we walked back through Britts Park. 

Created around the turn of last century, it runs beside the River Eden and is lush and green, which is to be expected considering all the rain we’ve had.

 

The Punchbowl Inn in Askham

August  23, 2022. Carlisle to Liverpool, England. 

On our drive to Liverpool, we stopped off at Askham to do some more ghost chasing, this time on Thea’s side. 

We popped in to the Punchbowl Inn, that was in the village and once the home of one of Thea’s distant grandfathers.

We then stopped off for lunch and a coffee in Kendal and at Nina’s.

The coffee wasn’t that bad but Thea’s roll was tasteless. 

A pre dinner drink at Doctor Duncan’s, which was next to the Marriott Hotel, where we were staying.

This was practically in the centre of Liverpool which was very convenient.

We finished up staying for dinner as the place was so quaint. 

Again the story of the pub’s name was concocted. 

Doctor Duncan had nothing to do with the pub or even the building it was housed in. 

In fact he was long dead before the building was constructed in 1901. 

Unfortunately the choice of food and beverages didn’t live up to the interesting atmosphere. 

The food, yet again, was tasteless and the beer and wine choice didn’t inspire. 

After dinner we had a walk around the CBD and found The Old Post Office Hotel. 

This was relatively quiet, compared to everywhere else, so we popped in for a nightcap. 

As we have seen in many British pubs there are many single guys. 

Most of the time they don’t look happy. 

As we walked around the city, we noticed that there wasn’t as many historic buildings as we had seen in other parts of Britain. 

This was due to the ‘Liverpool Blitz’ when the city was heavily bombed between 1940 and 1942. In fact it was the most heavily bombed city in Britain, outside of London.

 

The Beatles Story

August  24, 2022. Liverpool, England. 

We had decided to visit Liverpool to do some Beatles discovery. 

Something we had never done when we lived in Manchester. We lived there for two years and stupidly never made the one hour drive west to this port city, home of John, Paul, Ringo and George.

We were both Beatles fanatics in the 60s’ so it was weird that we hadn’t made the trip. 

Out of the ones on offer ‘The Beatles Story’ was the exhibition we chose to see. 

It was meant to take about one and a half hours but it took me two and a half hours and Thea a little longer. 

It was great, however my only criticism would be that the flow was a little confusing. 

I had to double back a number times to see things I had obviously missed. 

It not only covered the Beatles, as a group, but also as individuals. Plus those people who influenced their lives. 

They even had a recreation of the Cavern Club on Mathew Street, the venue that made them famous. 

After we had finished the tour we wandered down to Mathew Street and had lunch at the Cavern Club restaurant. 

This was just over the road from the new Cavern Club. 

The one that the Beatles actually performed in the the 60s’ was closed down in 1973. 

On August 19th, 1963, the Beatles, which now included Ringo Starr, played their first gig at this now iconic venue. 

They went on to have 297 appearances there, the last one being on August 3rd, 1963. 

The Beatles touched many people, from different cultures, as was evident in the signage around the exhibition. 

There were instructions in five languages in the toilets. 

We had an early dinner, as it was going to be an early start in the morning. 

We were getting the ferry to Ireland. 

There was however one last drink at Doctor Duncan’s. 

The atmosphere was great – pity about the food.

 

Northern and Southern Ireland.

August  25, 2022. Liverpool, England to Dublin, Ireland. 

We were up at 6am and had checked out of the hotel by 7. Then, after retrieving the car from the parking lot, we headed off to find the port. 

Today we were headed for Northern and Southern Ireland.

Once we got to the P&O depot at Gladstone Dock, we had to show our passports. Which is something we hadn’t done for a while. 

Once aboard the Norbay we were given a complimentary cabin, even though we hadn’t booked one and found that two meals were included in our passage. 

All in all a good start to the day. 

After breakfast on board we settled into some, not so comfortable, seats and prepared for the seven hour voyage. 

It was a long trip but relatively relaxed. 

Once we arrived Dublin and disembarked we got the GPS up and running and headed to our hotel. 

We had booked one near the airport as we were only staying for a night and wanted an easy exit from the city the following day. 

As we were a little isolated from everything, we stayed at the hotel for dinner. 

A good choice. 

The chef at the Metro Hotel Dublin Airport gave us food with flavour. Something we hadn’t had in a while. 

Also we are back to paying in Euros.

 

Carlingford Castle (13th Century)

August  26, 2022. Dublin, Ireland to Belfast, Northern Island. 

Yesterday we moved from Pounds to Euros and now it was moving back again as we headed from Dublin to Belfast. 

Not to forget Kilometres to Miles. 

On the way we stopped off at Carlingford, a medieval town, on Lake Carlingford. 

The castle there told some interesting stories about England and the ruling classes of the time. 

Then it was on to Belfast. This was on a very cross country route that took us through small villages, rolling countryside and a few interesting ‘shortcuts’. 

Once we got to Belfast we not only had trouble finding the hotel but also the car park. 

As I was illegally parked near the hotel the ominous shadow of a parking inspector loomed behind me. As soon as Thea returned from checking in she ‘sweet talked’ him into letting us stay there while we took the cases to the room. 

On our return I wondered if he had given us a ticket anyway. 

Fortunately he had disappeared and left no ticket behind. 

They aren’t all bad it seems. 

The Travel Lodge Hotel, where were staying, was rather basic but it was in the middle of town and offered all you really needed. 

It’s amazing how you can adapt the room layout to suit your needs.

We had dinner at Actons which was great and just down the road from our hotel. 

Another meal with flavour, that’s two in a row in Ireland. 

I had a bottle of White Haze IPA, from O’Hara’s Brewing in Ireland. 

It was the best craft brew I had had in a while, full of citrus flavours and it was served cold. 

A rarity in GB.

 

Shankill Road

August  27, 2022. Belfast, Northern Island. 

Breakfast was at Cafe Nero, which was our best option and very close to the hotel. 

Cafe Nero is the best of the chain coffee shops, with a good choice but, more importantly, good coffee. 

We had booked a Black Cab Political and Mural Tour for noon, so had just enough time to get a phone top-up. 

The tour was probably one of the most confronting 90 minutes I have ever had – outside of Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp in Poland that is. 

Our guide was Kevin and he was a product of the troubles in Belfast and the political repression of the community. 

Both his parents had been jailed in the 60s’ and his father murdered by the British army.  

We visited the infamous areas of Shankill Road, Falls Road and Bombay Street, where there is a wide selection of murals or monuments representing the troubles. 

This was a very one sided presentation, told from the Nationalist point of view. However, I don’t think you would find it easy to get the story from the other side. 

We wondered why the police drive around in armoured vehicles and we never saw a uniformed officer on the streets. 

Now we know why. 

They are hated by a large section of the community and seen as the root cause of a lot of issues. 

I believe that the police in Northern Ireland are the only force in Great Britain to arm all their officers. (On returning to Australia we watched the TV series Blue Lights on SBS OnDemand – this certainly gave us a different insight)

In the late afternoon we headed off to have a brief exploration of the city. 

Firstly down to the walking streets and shopping area, where we had been in the morning to get my phone topped up, and then to the docks. 

This area was home to the Harland and Wolff Shipyards, where the Ill-fated Titanic was built. 

In its place is now the Titanic Belfast, a museum and visitors centre. 

We felt that a visit wasn’t needed, as nothing remains of the ship, which now lies at the bottom of the Atlantic. 

We tried to have dinner at The Crown Liquor Saloon the previous night but it was booked out. 

It looked interesting and had a fabulous interior, so we booked this time. 

It was built in 1826 and then known as the Railway Tavern. In 1885 it was taken over, renamed and renovated to become one of the finest Victorian Gin Palaces in Britain. More recently it was restored by the National Trust and is now one of the iconic drinking spots in Belfast.

 

Giant’s Causeway (Busier than it was 50 years ago)

August  28, 2022. Belfast to Portstewart, Northern Island. 

This was to be a day of stops and starts on our way to Portstewart. 

Firstly to Carrickfergus Castle, established in 1177 and then to Ballymena to do some more ghost chasing.

This was really only looking for houses of relatives, which in many cases were long gone – both the relatives and their houses.

Then to Cushendall, to see Red Bay Castle, which was in the distance.

Not much remains of Red Bay Castle, basically just a few rocks on a hill. 

Our next stop was to visit the Giant’s Causeway, which was a lot busier than it had been 50 years ago when Denis and I had been there.

Back then we wandered around the site virtually alone.

The Giant’s Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns that resulted from an ancient volcanic fissure.

It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, which is probably one of the reasons why there are so many more tourists here now.

We thought that Strand House, where were staying, served dinner – they didn’t. 

It was suggested that we try the golf cub restaurant, ‘Eighteen Ninety Four’ which was just down the road. 

We did and it was great, if not a bit expensive. 

Again the food had flavour, something that was lacking in England and Scotland. 

 

Mussenden Temple

August  29, 2022. Portstewart to Derry/Londonderry, Northern Island. 

It was another day of stop-start driving but only after we’d had our morning coffee in Portstewart. 

The Dark Hedges are an avenue of beech trees that were originally planted in 1775.

This area  is a bit Game of Thrones centric as some of the sites were featured in this iconic series.

Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne. Built by Earl Bushop Frederick Hervey in 1786

Much of the building was destroyed by fire in 1851 and then rebuilt in the 1870s.

It only fell into disrepair in the 1940s’ 

In Londonderry we were staying at another Holiday Inn Express. 

For some reason we got given a disabled room again, just like last night in Portstewart. 

I’m not complaining, as they are larger than normal rooms and there’s plenty of room to move – with or without a wheelchair. 

Dinner was at the Exchange Restaurant and Wine Bar, where I had Bang Bang Chicken and Thea had Duck and Stir Fry and it was all very good. 

Again very tasty. 

Afterwards a ‘cleanser’ at the Grand Central Bar, which was only 100 years old and young by local standards. 

It was a very lively local.

 

Derry Girls mural

August  30, 2022. Derry/Londonderry, Northern Island. 

After breakfast at the hotel, as it was included, we went off to find a coffee. 

We had seen a few coffee shops on our brief walk around the area the previous evening. 

The Scullery looked interesting, so we went there. 

We were well rewarded with a great brew. 

As we get deeper into Ireland and listen more to their language, I can’t help but understand how it has influenced the American accent. 

There are so many similar inflections and sounds. 

There are a lot of US tourists here, which is understandable, considering how many Irish people immigrated to America. 

We had booked a Wall Walk with Martin McCrossan walking tours, which included the story of Bloody Sunday.

On January 30, 1972 British soldiers opened fire on a peaceful protest in Derry killing 14 people. Bloody Sunday is considered the worst mass shooting in Northern Irish history.

Derry is a rather sad city with one the highest unemployment in the UK. You can see it the way people look and behave.

Many have nothing to do, so just wander around making a nuisance of themselves.

Way back when we started touring in Berlin, I decided to use my Sony RX100.

It’s small, flexible and easy to carry, day and night. 

Well, it has suddenly stopped working. 

I guess I will now have to pull out my Olympus, with the three lenses.

Just near where we started our Wall Walk was one mural that really stood out. It was of the cast members of the the Irish sitcom Derry Girls.

It takes up the entire wall of the Badgers Bar and Restaurant and really captured their characters.

The series was created by Lisa McGee in 2018 and ran on Chanel 4. It was inspired by McGee’s own experiences growing up in Derry in the 1980s.

It was mainly shot on location in Derry and makes constant references to the trouble there.

The final of the three part series titles ‘The Agreement’ was set during the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Lunchtime coffee was at Java Cafe, a place recommended by our tour guide, John. 

This was a great suggestion and he was a great guide. 

He didn’t draw breath in his hour long presentation. Some of which was done as he walked backwards along the city wall. 

He was also very positive about the future of the city, which is surprising considering the unemployment rate and its history.

Unlike our guide, Kevin, in Belfast. 

But the situation is much grimmer there and he did have a lot of axes to grind. 

As suggested by John, we did the Mural Walk and the Guildhall after our tour. 

The Mural Walk is a section of Derry where the Bloody Sunday massacre occurred. 

There are a a number of murals painted on the side of buildings, depicting, not only the conflict, but a number of the people involved. 

The Guildhall is known for its stained glass windows. The ones there now are replicas of the originals that were designed in 1912 and destroyed by an IRA bomb in 1972. 

Our last bit of tourism for the day was to walk over the Peace Bridge and back. 

Ironically, this bridge was built by the European Union. 

There was even a representative of the EU there to open it in 2011. 

But then Great Britain was part of the EU back then.

 

The New World. The Plantation House

 August  31, 2022. Derry/Londonderry, Northern Island to Sligo, Ireland. 

Derry was a repetitive experience. 

We had dinner both nights at the Exchange Restaurant, as well as coffee, both mornings, at The Scullery and of course two breakfasts at our hotel. 

Well there wasn’t a lot of choice locally and when you are on a good thing – don’t risk it. 

After charging the batteries and setting the time and zone it was back to my large and rather heavy Olympus camera. 

Today we were going to try and get an understanding of life in Ireland and a feeling of what drove so many people to emigrate around the world.

We felt the Ulster American Folk Park was the best way to get this knowledge, as it tells the story of three centuries of Irish immigration.

The folk park’s story is divided into three sections, the Old World, The Voyage and The New World. There are 30 exhibit buildings spread over a very well laid out park, that uses the grounds to explain as much as the buildings.

The Voyage exhibit actually reconstructs an old sailing ship and shows what life would have been like travelling the high seas across the Atlantic to North America.

One million people from Ulster emigrated to the USA between 1815 and 1845. Half of them came through British North America, now Canada. 

Then in 1845 the Potato Famine struck Ireland and even more left. 

Between 1851 and 1911 the population of Ulster fell by 21%, with at least one million people leaving the region. 

Immigration destinations now included Australian, New Zealand and Canada, however the US remained the most popular. 

That night, before dinner, I had a Lough Gill West Coast IPA at the Riverside Hotel.

It was great. 

I was told that the brewery was just up the road, so it was a pity we were only staying one night in Sligo.

 

Cliffs of Moher

September 01, 2022. Sligo to Limerick, Ireland. 

Breakfast was at the hotel and it was free. 

Then coffee was at Ripples, the cafe next door to the Riverside Hotel and right on the river. 

After that we had a walk around Galway which is on the River Corrib.

Then lunch for Thea and another coffee for me at the Rooster’s Hatch, in Galway.

We then drove the Wild Atlantic Coast to the Cliffs of Moher, where the view was stunning.

It cost us 10 € a head to park and then walk to this natural wonder. The area was rather over developed, especially considering that it was a view we had come to see. 

After that it was back on the road to Limerick.

That night dinner was at the Old Quarter Gastro Pub, which was right next to our hotel, the Old Quarter Townhouse. 

Again the food was very tasty. 

The weather was balmy enough for us to eat outside but a fire alarm in the adjoining car park forced us to move back in.

They had a very nice Lagunitas IPA on tap, which was not only tasty but cold. 

Surprisingly, their glasses were chilling in a fridge. Something I hadn’t seen in a long time.

 

Blennerville Windmill in Tralee (1800)

 September 02, 2022. Limerick to Killarney, Ireland. 

Yesterday we drove on part of the Wild Atlantic Coast, while today we intend to drive around some of the Ring of Kerry. 

The Irish adventure continues. 

The weather in Limerick started off foggy, then just got cloudy, as we made our way to Tralee. 

In Tralee we had a short stop, for a photo opportunity, at the Blennerville Windmill. This is a fully restored, 21 metre high, stone mill, built in the 1800.

Then it was on to Portmagee for lunch and a quick crossing to Valentia Island. 

Then the Kerry Cliffs was our last stop before heading to Killarney, where we were staying in the aptly named, Killarney Court Hotel.

 

The Kerry Bog Village

September 03, 2022. Killarney to Portmagee, Ireland. 

We we were back onto the Ring of Kerry for the first part of our trip back to Portmagee. 

The Kerry Bog Village was our adventure for the day.

This is another open-air museum that focuses on the culture and history of Ireland during the 19th Century.

Then we caught the ferry from Reenard Point to Knight’s Town, on Valentia Island, then the drive to a bridge and then crossed to Portmagee. 

Lunch and coffee at Knight’s Town Coffee. 

Unfortunately the cups were takeaway and not even biodegradable. 

We were staying in an AirBnB and cooking for ourselves, which we hadn’t done since Scotland.

Risotto again, as we still had some rice left from the last time we self catered. 

It is great to have a home cooked meal every now and then.

The view out of the window, towards Valentia Island, was rather spectacular, which made it even more special – just a pity about the power lines.

 

Charlie Chaplin in Waterville (By Alan Ryan Hall 1998)

September 04, 2022. Portmagee to Skibbereen, Ireland. 

We continued travelling around The Ring of Kerry to Waterville where we came across a statue of Charlie Chaplin and wondered why.

Charlie was very proud of his Irish roots, especially the fact that his great grandmother was an Irish gypsy from Cork.

He first came to Waterville in 1959 with his wife and and their eight children. He continued to visit for the next 10 years. 

It was only when ‘McCarthyism’ also known as the ‘Second Red Scare’, with it’s persecution of anyone with a socialist leaning, that he felt unwelcome in Ireland.

That night we were staying at the West Cork Hotel in Skibberereen.

 

The Chapel (12th Century)

September 05, 2022. Skibbereen to Cashel, Ireland. 

We spoke to Hayden last night and the weather in Berlin was a balmy 25°C. 

Unfortunately it’s not like that in Skibbereen. 

Wet and 15°C (Real feel 11°C)

Apart from driving, and there was a bit of that, we only had one destination for the day. 

That was to The Rock of Cashel, a Medieval castle and chapel in Cashel. 

The site was a mixture of Roman and Gothic architecture.

For several hundred years, prior to the Norman invasion, The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the Kings of Munster.

It has a remarkable collection of Celtic and Medieval architecture dating back to the 12th and 13th Centuries.  

One of the amazing features was the rather bizarre heads staring down at you from the chapel walls.

Rain continued.

The Romans named Ireland, Hibernia, which means ‘Land of Winter’

I now understand why.

We were staying at a B&B in Cashel and the ‘landlord’ suggested going to the Bailey’s Hotel for dinner. 

It was there that I had my first Irish Guinness. 

What a shame I hadn’t had more, as it was rather good. 

Wherever you go in Ireland there is history staring you in the face. It’s the history of oppression, that the Northern Irish have suffered, that really sets the tone. 

There is a real difference between Northern Ireland and Eire. 

In the north they are still bound to Britain and all that’s associated with Brexit and the issues it has raised.

In Eire, there is optimism, and opportunity. Here they are still part of the EU and employment seems to be buoyant with plenty of staff and customers in the pubs and restaurants.

Flags play a big part in the south as they are proud of their individuality and fly them wherever possible.

 

The Great Telescope (Built by the 3rd Earl of Rose in 1845)

September 06, 2022. Cashel to Dublin, Ireland. 

Being a B&B, breakfast was naturally included. 

I have been avoiding full breakfasts, as they are just too much for me to digest in the morning. 

Today was different, as there really wasn’t any alternative, so I went for it. 

Egg, bacon, sausage, tomato and toast. 

I then needed a coffee to help it settle in. 

As luck had it, Angels and Demons was just around the corner. 

They even provided a small water with our coffee and a Biscotti, not that I needed anything else to eat. 

An Americano seems to be the choice of coffee style for a lot of the Irish. 

They do like things American. 

Again the day was dark, wet and gloomy and we constantly passed through patches of very heavy rain. 

We then drove to Birr Castle.

There has been a castle on this site since 1170. In 1628 Sir Lawrence Parsons (Earl of Rosse) was granted Birr Castle and 1,277 acres (5.2 km2).

The castle is often referred to as the Home of science in Ireland. 

The Parsons family were involved in the sciences of astronomy, photography and engineering.

The family still live in the castle, so the residential area is off-bounds. However there is still a lot to see, including the gardens, science museum and a cafe.

Within the house are the remains of the Parsons Steam Turbine, which is similar to the ones  that powered the Titanic. Then in the grounds is the Great Telescope, built by the 3rd Earl of Rosse in 1845. 

For decades this was the largest reflecting telescope in the world and a forerunner to today’s modern radio telescopes.

Once we settled into our accommodation in Dublin, the Maldron Hotel, we started to look for a dinner venue. 

We settled on the Ginger Man, a local pub that was about a 15 minute walk away. 

This was a typical local, with friendly staff and a great atmosphere. 

They also had a home brand IPA, which was very refreshing. 

Our waitress was fantastic. She was trained as a pathologist but also worked part time in the bar. 

However her real passion was to become a Garda, or policewoman. 

What you wear may define where you come from. 

In Ireland on a day of 19°C you might find people wearing anything from a T-Shirt and shorts to jumpers, long pants and even heavy jackets. 

Our theory is, if you grow up in a climate like Ireland, you are so used to cold weather and a 19°C day seems really warm, so you dress to accordingly. 

September 07, 2022. Dublin, Ireland. 

It was still drizzling so we had a later than usual start to the day. 

One of the consequences of my small camera breaking down, is that I am now lugging around the full size camera, with three lenses. 

This weights over 2 kilograms rather than 400 grams. 

My back hasn’t been used to carrying all this extra weight and has decided to play up. 

Today I will only use my iPhone. 

The hotel was great but not in a good position for things like eating. 

Everything was a bit of a walk. 

We did find Insomnia for breakfast. It’s one of a chain and the coffee was good. 

After breakfast we visited EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum. This is a great exhibition a wonderful space that was originally built in 1820.

It covered all aspects of Irish emigration around the world. 

On entry we were presented with a Museum Passport, this was a great idea.

It was both a guide to the museum and a reference to what you had seen or still needed to see.

As you wandered around, the very extensive site, you would stamp ‘your passport’ once you had finished an exhibit, this way you didn’t miss a thing.

Australia was well represented but the Americas dominated. Which is understandable considering how many went there. 

Not only were the hardships highlighted but so were all the positives. Especially the contribution Irish Emigrants have made to the world and the countries they settled in. 

Ireland joined the EU in 1973, which was the same time as the United Kingdom. 

Ireland was the first country to legalise same sex marriage in 2015. 

We found Brick Alley Cafe for lunch and another coffee. This was in the old city area. 

We then walked back to the hotel, where we decided to stay in for dinner. 

Better than more walking, my back decided. 

 

England and Wales.

September 08, 2022. Dublin, Ireland to Manchester, England. 

Early start, as we were getting the 9am ferry back to Liverpool. We needed to be at the port at least 90 minutes before departure back to England and then Wales. 

The ship was the Norstrom, a sister ship to the Norbay, which we came over on. 

Fortunately the staff had forgotten to turn on the TVs in the lounge area. Which meant we weren’t forced to watch Coronation Street reruns. 

This time we weren’t offered the free cabin, which was good, as we really didn’t use it on the trip over. 

No sooner had we arrived in Britain, than we got the news the the Queen had died. 

The next few days will be interesting ones. 

It was just over an hour to Manchester, most of it on Motorways. 

Once we found our Airbnb it was off the nearest supermarket for provisions. 

After we had settled into our new home (well for at least four days) we realised something was weird. 

It seemed as though the owners had just walked out, moments before we arrived. 

The wardrobes were full of clothes while the drawers still contained many ‘intimate’ items. 

There were half empty containers, with a variety of washing, cleaning and body care products all over the place. 

And the fridge was full of half consumed food.

 

Digital posters of The Queen (1926-2022)

September 09, 2022. Manchester, England. 

This morning we woke to find a delivery of food on our doorstep.

This owner really hadn’t prepared for Airbnb guests.

We caught the tram from our accommodation in Chorlton to St Peter’s Square, in the heart of Manchester. 

It was incredible efficient with a service every three minutes. 

No sooner had we arrived in the city and we having a coffee than the rain came down. 

Well it was Manchester. 

Ghost chasing for Thea and a haircut for me were the orders of the day. 

Thea had been waiting to get into the archives of the Manchester Central Library to do some research on the 1921 census. 

Unfortunately, after hours of trolling though the files, she came up a blank, especially on the Stainsby side.  

The death of Queen Elizabeth II yesterday was obviously top of the news. 

Electronic posters had her image and all the flags were at half mast. 

We spent some time wandering the streets of Manchester, which we hardly recognised from 1973, when we lived here. 

A defining point in Manchester’s history was the 1996 IRA bombing in the centre of the city.

On Saturday June 15th the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) detonated a 1,500 kilogram lorry bomb in Corporation street, which is right in the centre.

This was the largest bomb to be detonated in Britain since WWII.

It caused untold damage to the city and the estimated repair bill was £700 million or more than £1.4 billion in today’s money.

So much had to be rebuilt, that we really didn’t recognise the Manchester we knew back then.

The evening meal was at Sam’s Chop House, a very English pub in the heart of Manchester. 

We were there to catch up with Kay and Paul. 

Kay was 11 years old when we first moved to Manchester in 1973. Back then we were staying with her parents, who were related to people I worked with in Australia. 

 

40 Edgeley Road Stockport (Our old home in Manchester)

September 10, 2022. Manchester, England. 

After doing a bit of work and forward planning we headed to Stockport, our old haunt from 50 years ago. 

Everything had changed, except where we lived at 40 Edgeley Road. That looked exactly as we had left it. 

Even the Greyhound, the pub we used to frequent, was gone.

Then it was another evening of home cooking, in this rather strange Airbnb.

September 11, 2022. Manchester, England. 

I had more work to do, so the morning was spent on that. 

We had planned to go to The Snake Pass and have lunch at the Snake Inn. 

This was a favourite Sunday drive when we lived in Manchester. 

Unfortunately The Snake Pass was closed, as recent bad weather had made it unsafe to drive through. 

We really weren’t having much luck with our ‘Down Memory Lane’ experiences. 

It was the Wheatsheaf Hotel, in Glossop, for lunch and a surprisingly good Double Espresso. 

Our waiter was a very tall, slight lad, who was obviously learning the trade. 

He was so lanky that he could barely fit under the door. 

It was a very dog friendly place with the main bar area full of pooches and their people. 

After lunch we did go for a drive through parts of the Snake Pass and it was as beautiful as we remembered it. 

Some things don’t change. 

Private flag polls in England are rare, especially compared to Northern and Southern Ireland. 

I believe this doesn’t show a lack of patriotism, rather a belief that there is no need to express it so obviously, like they do in the States.

The effects of the Covid pandemic and Brexit are everywhere in this part of England.

Shops are shut, while cafes and restaurants are either shut or restricting their hours of operation.

Most of this can be attributed to the fact that there is no labour to fill these places.

Unlike Eire, where everything is open. This is because they have staff coming from the EU.

 

14 Milford Street, Brownie’s second homes in Manchester

September 12, 2022. Manchester, England to Aberystwyth, Wales. 

I was working again, as I received a barrage of briefs overnight. 

Then, after I’d finished, it was off to find a coffee. 

I needed it. 

Not far from where we were staying was North Star, a very trendy coffee shop, and we got a park right out the front, so things were working in our favour. 

However the coffee was crap. 

Surprisingly, later in the day when we stopped at Dyffryn Cafe, a quaint country roadside stop on the A458 in Welshpool, the coffee was much better. 

I think the barista from there could easily get a good job in Manchester.

Before we left Manchester we did a bit more ghost chasing, this time looking to find where my mother was born and grew up. 

Her first home was in 28 Edmund Street, while here second home, where she lived until moving to Australia, was in Milford Street.

It was great to see that both these houses were still standing.

We are now in Wales and back to flags, but this one features a red dragon. 

There must be some desire here to be separated from the Union Jack. 

Before we checked into our hotel, the Aberystwyth Park Lodge, which was a way out of town, we had a drive around Aberystwyth. 

It looked like a very interesting sea side town and there seemed to be plenty of ‘free’ on street parking, something we weren’t used to. 

We will certainly return tomorrow to explore. 

Over dinner, at the Park Inn, we had our first sunset for some time. 

Let’s hope tomorrow will be ‘A sailor’s delight’.

 

View from the Rheilffordd Y Graig Cliff Railway (Aberystwyth Cliff Railway)

September 13, 2022. Aberystwyth, Wales. 

This morning I read about the Queen’s body being taken down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. 

It was only a few weeks ago that we took the same path.

This was the her last stop before she leaves Scotland for good. The connection the Queen had to Scotland was more than affection, it was in her blood.

The weather did look promising and there was even some blue sky, so we headed for a day in town. 

We even found a free parking spot on the front, that wasn’t far from The Cabin, a little coffee shop. 

The coffee was ok. 

Next was the Rheilffordd Y Graig Cliff Railway and again there was free parking near the entrance. 

The views of Aberystwyth, both ascending and at the top, were excellent. 

Afterwards we found some more free parking on the town front. We then went wandering around Aberystwyth Castle, the University and Saint Michaels Church area.

The Queens death has had it’s ramifications on us. 

We were due to return our rental car on September 19th. Now this is the day that the Queen will be buried and has been declared a public holiday in Great Britain.

We are currently negotiating a solution with Enterprise. 

We had lunch at Ultra Comida, a Spanish Tapas bar and delicatessen. 

Yes, Spanish food in Wales.

We shared a plate of Crab Croquetas and they were very authentic. 

We were suddenly back in Barcelona. 

The rest of the afternoon we just wandered around the old town area. 

I must admit that Aberystwyth isn’t as tacky as many holiday places we have visited, especially in the south of England.

We had booked into the Glengower Hotel for dinner and caught a taxi into town. 

The taxi cost £6.50 and in the hotel there was a poster for the Titanic, advertising sailings from Liverpool to New York for £7.  

Go figure inflation. 

I love the Welsh place names like Aberystwyth.

I believe that to be able to pronounce the names like Aberystwyth, Caernarfon, Rhosbodrual and Bontnewydd you need to be either a Celtic speaker or born in Wales.

 

Fishguard Bay at low tide

September 14, 2022. Aberystwyth to Fishguard, Wales. 

It was Mc Gowans Vintage Cafe in Aberaeron for our morning coffee. 

The sign out the front boasted Barista Coffee. To our surprise the ‘Barista’ told us this was the first espresso she had ever prepared. 

What do they drink then?

Even though we had a couple of stops along the way, we still arrived in Fishguard too early to check in. So we wandered down to the port area, known as Lower Fishguard and found the Yacht Club Cafe for lunch. 

It was crowded and they had run out of their signature dish ‘Crab Sandwiches’. 

Thea had to do a rethink. 

We then had a short walk around Fishguard Bay. It was low tide and many of the yachts were high and dry. 

It was then back to the JT Abergwaun Hotel in Fishguard to check-in. Thea couldn’t find anyone to help her but finally located the cleaning lady, who gave us her the key and told us where the car park was located. 

We then found out that the hotel restaurant was closed tonight, as the owners were away. 

The in house restaurant was one of the main reasons for booking the place. However she did assure us that there were plenty of other good dining options available. 

And sure enough, just over the road from our hotel was the Royal Oak, where we ended up.

Luckily we got there early at 6:45pm, because by 7pm the place was filling up and by 8pm it was full. 

And it was only a Wednesday. 

The food was different and very tasty. 

Wales has similarities with Ireland, in that their food has flavour – compared to the UK that is.

 

Saint Davids Cathedral (Established in the middle of the 6th Century)

September 15, 2022. Fishguard, Wales. 

There was no breakfast in the pub so we wandered around to Mannings. This was a cafe, come deli, come greengrocer, come bottle shop, just around the corner. 

We then went for a drive and stopped in St David, which is in the very west of Wales and also made a few other stops along the way. 

In St David we bought a Red Dragon, soft toy, for Brianna. He would later be named ‘Taff’ 

Taff or Taffy is slang for a Welshman, so we felt it fitting that it should be the name of Brianna’s Welsh dragon.

St Davids Cathedral is situated, not surprisingly, in St Davids, which is the smallest city in Britain.

The cathedral was started in 1181 but unfortunately was beset by problems. The tower collapsed in 1220 and it suffered more damage in 1247 and 1248 from earthquakes.

Some places we just didn’t stop at, as they wanted us to pay £4 for the pleasure of parking there. 

Not worth it, if all you want is to look at is the view for five minutes. 

We did stop in Haverfordwest and grabbed a snack in The Welsh Bakery. 

It was then back to Fishguard, where you can park near our hotel for 24 hours and it only cost us £2. 

I believe the money grabbing in some of these places, though their parking set up, might be discouraging visitors. 

Some of the fees might go to the council but it’s the local traders that would be missing out. 

 

Brecon Canal

September 16, 2022. Fishguard to Cardiff, Wales. 

It was Cresswell’s Café and Bar for breakfast. 

This was nowhere near as classy as where we were yesterday.

In fact it was bog ordinary. 

Our toasted sandwiches came with corn chips, undressed salad and, of all things, a small bowl of coleslaw. 

Once we had packed and checked out we then headed off towards Cardiff. 

The road trip took us via Brecon, a quaint little country town. 

There we had lunch at Coffee#1 and again got a street park, this time out the front. 

I do like Wales. 

This is a chain cafe, that I’ve never heard of. The coffee was great and the layout comfortable and eclectic. 

In Brecon we got a matching postcard to go with Brianna’s Dragon Taff. 

It was then a relatively easy drive to Cardiff. 

We were staying at the Holiday Inn Express – Cardiff Bay. 

And again we got the disabled room. 

This is becoming a habit or, they know something we don’t.

Holiday Inn Express has become a favourite for us, as you know what you are going to get. 

The rooms are similarly styled, so you know where things are. The breakfast is always included and the menu is identical, so you just go and get your favourite. 

There is always a bar and off street parking. 

It does take the stress out of travelling when you know what to expect. 

We had a choice for dinner, either we walked down to the wharf, or in the other direction into the town centre. 

We chose the wharf and had a meal at the Cardiff Bay Tavern. It was about as ‘salubrious’ as where we were for breakfast. 

Both were rather feral.  

Our walk to the wharf was along the Bute East Dock and there were about four fisherman set up with their lines in the water. They were also well entrenched, with tents and trolleys for all their equipment. 

They looked very permanent. 

This was proven when we walked back after dinner. The tents were still there and no lines were in the water.

 

The Animal Wall at Cardiff Castle (1880s’)

September 17, 2022. Cardiff, Wales. 

Most hotel lifts on our trip, so far, have had a female voice. 

And most of those voices had a very strong royal English accent. 

I used to call them Elizabeth. 

The Holiday Inn in Cardiff had a male voice and again the accent was ‘toffy’. Will Charles now be operating the lifts in Britain?

Today we will explore the city of Cardiff and as it’s walking distance from our hotel, it will mostly be on foot. 

Our first stop was Uncommon Ground Roastery in the Royal Arcade. 

I have usually found that if a coffee shop also roasts their own beans, the quality is good and they know how to prepare it. 

This was no exception. 

There were many similarities to the arcade of the same name in Melbourne. 

The one thing we have noticed in the UK, is the propensity for local councils to develop walking streets in many of the towns. 

They are a great way of allowing easy access to shops and facilities. They also stop the shopping areas getting blocked, either with parked cars or people looking to park their cars.

Next was Cardiff Castle which was first settled by the Romans in the 1st Century AD. The current castle was built in the 11th Century AD. It was closed as they were mourning the death of the Queen.

We then caught a ferry, Princess Katharine, back to Cardiff Bay. This was from the Taff River, next to Bute Park. 

By doing this we didn’t have to walk back through town and we got a great river view on the way. 

Lunch was at Mermaid Quay at CoffiCo. 

Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and Roald Dahl (1916-1990) are all Welsh and they are certainly celebrated here in Cardiff.

In fact Roald Dahl has his own plaza.

We had a ‘very’ early dinner at Signor Valentino, a rather good Italian restaurant in the Cardiff Bay area. 

Certainly much better than the previous night.

On the way home we checked out the fisher/campers on the Boot East Dock. 

They were still there. 

We asked at the hotel about them and were told that they were legitimate and able to stay there for up to a week. 

The only condition, it was ‘catch-and-release’. 

How strange.

 

Sculpture Walk in Forest of Dean

September 18, 2022. Cardiff, Wales to Bristol, England. 

We have been singing the praises of the Holiday Inn Express. 

We may have been a little premature, if Bristol was anything to go by.

As usual the rooms were a good standard, staff great and the breakfast was included. However the quality was just not the same. 

On our first day, they had run out of fruit at breakfast and our showers wouldn’t drain very well. 

On the second day, the bathroom flooded because the water couldn’t escape and then the lift broke down. 

Luckily we were on the first floor, so not too far to lug the cases. 

Today we are leaving Wales and heading back into England. We will have a one night stand in Bristol, before returning to Germany. 

Parc Pantry for coffee, which was out of Cardiff, on our way to the Forest of Dean. 

This was the local ‘trendy’ spot, well it must have been, as they served Avocado on Toast. Over the last few days in Wales we have been listening to some of the local heroes. 

Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey were top of our play list.

It’s great to have a soundtrack to our drive.

Once we got to the Forest of Dean, we did part of the Sculpture Walk. 

This was totally underwhelming. 

Then it was a relatively easy drive into Bristol. That was until we decided to get off the motorway to get petrol. 

The exit lane was at a standstill, as were all the roads around the servo. 

After eventually getting the car filled up, we then had difficulty finding the hotel. 

The GPS kept sending us around an imaginary roundabout. 

We finally made it and parked the car and cleaned it out. It will stay there until Enterprise come and collect it on Tuesday. 

The Vauxhall Crossland had been a good rental and served us well thought England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, covering 3,956 miles (6,367 kilometres)

As Monday is now a holiday, we arranged to leave the car at the hotel, as all the rental car company offices were closed for ‘The Funeral’. 

Luckily there was a Brew Dog, only minutes down the road from our hotel. 

By the time we got there I certainly needed a drink. 

And there is no better, than a pint of Brew Dog Hazy Jane NEIPA. 

Dinner was at The Old Fishmarket, which was a pub in the old fish market. 

The food was tasty and there was a jazz band playing. 

Very pleasant. 

I must admit, we did venture back, across the road to Brew Dog for a cleanser. 

September 19, 2022. Bristol, England to Berlin, Germany. 

Our trip had taken us full circle, from Bristol to Bristol and today we were returning to Berlin. 

However the fight wasn’t until late afternoon, so we had a bit of time to kill. 

We did indulge ourselves and watch part of QEII funeral on the hotel TV. 

Only the Poms know how to do pomp and pageantry that well. 

It was only afterwards that we discovered that over four billion people watched the event. 

We then needed to finalise leaving the rental card at the hotel. 

The girl we spoke to at reception wasn’t that happy about it, emphasising that the car wasn’t the hotel’s responsibility – especially if something happened to it. 

After negotiations and signing our lives away, we walked into Bristol and found somewhere to get lunch. 

There wasn’t a lot of choice as most places were closed due to the funeral. 

We found Aqua, a restaurant on the river. Good food but expensive. 

Well it could afford to be, with the limited choice available. 

It was then back to the hotel to retrieve our bags and head to the airport. 

The hotel ordered us a taxi to the airport, which was great, except when it came time to pay. 

He didn’t have a credit card machine and we had to go online and pay by card. 

What a pain. 

We had been advised by Easyjet to get there early as they were expect crowds. 

They were right, as it took us an hour and a quarter to get through security. 

The airport was understaffed due to the public holiday. 

It is certainly much easier to travel around one country, with no borders or security checks. 

The flight was two hours and, as usual with Easyjet, well organised. 

Once we landed in Berlin there was another on-ground delay, this time with passport control. 

There were only three booths open for non EU passport holders and with the majority of the passengers non EU residents, there was a long line. They certainly couldn’t use the Queen’s funeral as an excuse.

We finally got through and made it to our hotel. 

With the time change it was now 10pm. 

There was a changeovers of staff happening, just as we arrived. Once we booked in we had a nightcap at the bar. 

It was the end of a long day and an end to our adventure through England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. 

Art sometimes hides things.

Tuesday, August 20th, 2024

We were staying in a rather nice apartment in Granada, Spain, with a lot of art on the walls. 

I looked up from the dining table, on our first morning, and saw these. 

Two Entomological insect drawings. 

They were rather delicate, yet simple. 

Then I looked into them further and found that they were also rather sexy. 

Boobs on the right and two penises on the left. 

It couldn’t be a coincidence I thought. 

Or was it just my dirty mind?

The legacy of WWII on the Channel Islands.

Sunday, July 28th, 2024

We have just spent 10 days on Jersey and Guernsey. These are part of the Channel Islands, just off the northwest coast of France.  

Today the Channel Islands consist of Alderney, Guernsey, Sark and Jersey.

Some history from the BBC:

“The Channel Islands were owned by the Duchy of Normandy, and passed to the English Crown when William the Conqueror became King of England in 1066.”

“The islands are not part of the United Kingdom or European Union, but rather are possessions of the British Crown with independent administrations. Their inhabitants are British citizens.”

During WWII the Nazis occupied all four of the islands from 1940 until the end of the war in 1945.

On June 15, 1940 Britain left the islands undefended and they were demilitarised.

Hitler believed that the islands could become a ‘stepping stone’ to an invasion of Britain.

The Nazi invasion of the islands had a profound influence on the local population. This is physically evident by the infrastructure that they left behind.

They built lookouts, fortifications, gun placements and storage depots. Much of this work was carried out by by workers from a forced labour camp that was situated on Alderney.

There was even a concentration camp there.

As you drive around you are constantly reminded by just how much the Germans built and how well they built it.

Today most of what was constructed in those five years remains intact.

Surprisingly, this has had a beneficial influence on the islands today.

Most of the fortifications, such as the bunkers and gun placements, were built along the coastline and then joined by containment walls, This has left a legacy of coastal erosion barriers that today keep the rising water at bay.

These structures are also a great tourist attraction and many are open to the public.

Rarely anything good comes from war but in this case there have been some benefits.

Two red shoes.

Wednesday, June 5th, 2024

At the start of the pedestrian area in Agrigento, Sicily, we came across this monument to the victimisation of women. 

Thea interpreted the plaque to read:

‘In memory of all the (women) victims of violence so that they can tell their story without silence and arouse conscience and civility’.

Given what we have experienced recently in Australia, I think there should be one of these in every Australian town and city. 

It might just jog the conscience of some of the many perpetrators. 

Summer of 2022.
Part 4: Barcelona.

Tuesday, April 30th, 2024

July 4, 2022. Granada to Barcelona Spain.

Granada’s airport was very efficient, as was the disembarkation from our Vueling flight in Barcelona. 

It was done five rows at a time, which stopped the mad panic that you usually get. 

Why don’t more airlines adopt this approach?

 

El Gato de Botero in Rambla del Raval

July 5, 2022. Barcelona Spain.

We were staying in Rambla del Raval, at the Abba Rambla Hotel, where we have stayed before.

It’s a great area just off the Rambla, the iconic walking street in Barcelona.

Thea’s health wasn’t improving, so we decided to get a doctor to assess her.

The hotel was fantastic and had an English speaking doctor come to visit us in just under two hours.

The doctor suggested that Thea go straight to the hospital for tests.

She was admitted into the Hospital HM Nou Delfos and after an initial consultation, told she would be there for a few days while more tests were carried out.

This particular hospital had an English speaking ward, with both doctors and nurses being able to communicate with Thea.

This was certainly a help.

The hospital was in Gràcia and about 25 minutes by taxi from our hotel in Rambla del Raval.

This was a real change in our plans and meant that, unfortunately, we would no longer be going to Rome for the wedding.

July 6, 2022. Barcelona Spain.

As we had the Abba Rambla Hotel booked and paid for two nights, we decided that I would stay there and get a taxi to be with Thea during the day.

Then I would find a hotel that was close to the hospital and move there.

So it was another day in the hospital again, while we tried to rearrange our plans.

In the evening, after returning to my hotel from the hospital, I had a guilty pint at OLDGOD. This is  a craft beer bar, just near the Rambla del Raval and has 20 beers on tap.

I had a Freddy Fox West Coast IPA, it was excellent and brewed, right there, in Barcelona. 

What a strange name for a Spanish beer.

At €7 (A$11.50) for 500ml it wasn’t cheap but then good craft beer never is. 

While having dinner, which was in Parc Infantil, the square in front of the restaurant, I was warned by a local not to leave my bag on the ground, as it might get stolen. 

Luckily we have learned to strap them to the chair, and the table, so it was pretty safe.

We think we have a diverse culture in Australia. However looking around at the faces in Raval, we have nothing like that at home. 

Obviously there are Europeans, from all countries, but also African, Asians, Indians, Pakistanis, Central Asians, North and South Americans, and of course the odd Australian. 

July 7, 2022. Barcelona Spain.

Thea was still in the Hospital HM Nou Delfos and undergoing numerous tests.

I moved to a new hotel, Catalonia Park Güell, near the Gràcia area, that was walking distance from the hospital.

It was a very quiet area with not a lot of eating options.

That night I finished up dining at Lascaleta, a restaurant that was just over the road from the hospital. 

I got a feeling that they might get to know me there. 

 

Tibidabo at sunset

July 8, 2022. Barcelona Spain.

Thea was still in the Hospital HM Nou Delfos and waiting to get the full analysis of all the tests she had undergone.

These should come though on Saturday. 

As expected I returned to Lascaleta, the restaurant over the road, for breakfast. The service was excruciatingly slow and I missed seeing Thea’s doctor. 

Today is Brianna’s third birthday and it’s such a shame that we can’t celebrate the event with the rest of the family in Italy. 

Now was the time we were meant to be in Lake Bracciano, north of Rome, for Cam and Fran’s wedding. 

An event that we started to plan for in 2019. 

Then due to COVID it was cancelled in 2020 and here we are, missing it again. 

July 9, 2022. Barcelona Spain.

Thea was discharged from hospital, now it’s a matter of what we do next and how do we recover the expenses. 

This hasn’t been a cheap experience and we have had to move money around in order to pay the hospital bills. 

This was made more difficult by the 8 hour time difference between Barcelona and Melbourne.

And, to make it all the more complicated, Thea was discharged on a weekend, so everything was shut, both in Spain and Australia. 

My afternoon task was to find a pharmacy that was open and get Thea’s medication. 

Apart from the anxiety and worry of Thea’s hospitalisation, significant world events happened over the time of her stay. 

In Britain, Boris Johnston resigned as Prime Minister and in Japan, former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe was assassinated. 

What an eventful time this is.

 

Hospital HM Nou Delfos from the roof of the hotel

July 10, 2022. Barcelona Spain.

We are in the Catalonia Park Güell Hotel now and, fortunately, back together again. 

Thea is still taking it slow and will be for some time.

I think the rest of our trip will be done as ‘Slow Travel’ which is the way I like it anyway. 

But not under these circumstances. 

We did a bit of a casual meander around the Gràcia area and enjoyed some of the local architecture.

Especially the Art deco buildings.

Afterwards we had an ‘accidental lunch’ at Askadinya a Mediterranean, Palestinian, fusion restaurant in Gràcia.

These accidental meals pop up from time to time and are mainly due to circumstances changing.

This one, like so many we have had, turn out to be a pleasant surprise.

 

The beach at Badalona

July 11, 2022. Barcelona Spain.

After breakfast, again at Lascaleta, we crossed the road to the hospital and settled the bill. 

Hopefully this is the last time we have to go there. 

This has been a very expensive exercise and now we have to go through the laborious task of claiming it all on the travel insurance. 

This won’t be easy, as most insurance companies are very reluctant to honour their commitments. 

We then caught the underground to Badalona, one of our favourite spots from the time we lived there in 2012.

Lunch was on the waterfront, next to the train line.

We then walked up and down Carrer de La Mar, the main shopping strip in Badalona and eventually caught the overground back to our hotel.

That night we discovered the fresh fruit platter at the hotel, was a great dish to end the day, especially after a long Spanish lunch.

Interestingly the medication Thea was on meant that she had developed a voracious appetite.

There was no way I could keep up with her.

July 12, 2022. Barcelona Spain.

It was a slow and quiet day in the city, then another long Spanish lunch.

Unfortunately there was no siesta to follow. 

After a drink and nibbles back at the hotel, we returned to our room to pack. 

Tomorrow was going to be an early start and a long day.

We had talked my mate Denis into letting us stay at his place in Arnex-Sur-Orb in Switzerland.

After everything we had been through, a few restful days in the Swiss countryside would do us all good.

Denis was due to be in Rome for the wedding as well but unfortunately he also had to miss out, as he can no longer tolerate the heat.

Summer of 2022.
Part 3: Granada with the family.

Monday, April 29th, 2024

June 29, 2022. Lisbon, Portugal to Granada, Spain. 

We arrived into Granada late in the day and got settled into our apartment.

Then we all went out for dinner with the family.

It was great to get everyone together, especially our two young granddaughters.

The plan was to get the cousins, Aida and Brianna, together, before the wedding in Rome, so they could get to know each other.

June 30, 2022. Granada, Spain. 

We were in another Airbnb, which was yet another example of how poor the system has become. 

I believe that these places are never tested, by real people, to see if they are usable. 

There was one huge pot to boil water, no dishwasher and no tea towels, a washing machine but no pegs.

Also there was nowhere to hang bath towels to dry and there was a bathroom door that couldn’t be shut, let alone locked.

And this was a three bedroomed apartment, so more than likely the facilities would need to be shared.

After breakfast and discovering all the foibles of our Airbnb, we went off in search of a playground.

An essential activity when there are kids travelling with you.

It was then was back to our rooms to tend to washing and a bit of ‘housekeeping’ like onward bookings and reconciling the last week’s family expenses in Portugal with Ev and Steph.

That night it was another dinner with the family.

This time it was at Capitán Amargo (Captain Bitter) a craft brewery. This wasn’t Hayden and Andrea’s first choice, as that was booked out.

It certainly would have been mine. 

The local craft beer was excellent, as was the food. 

 

Capitán Amargo (Captain Bitter) Craft Brewery

July 1, 2022. Granada, Spain. 

As the big event on the upcoming calendar was the wedding in Rome the ‘girls’ needed haircuts.

Granada is Andrea’s home town, so it was left to her to select and book the salon.

That night it was another dinner with the family. We were sitting outside the restaurant and looking up at the Alhambra.

What a unique Granada experience to have while eating.

After dinner we all had an ice cream at a Heladeria los Italianos. This Italian gelateria has become an institution in Granada.

It certainly pays to have local knowledge.

Everything operates on a different time zone in this part of Spain. 

At 2pm, sharp, the city shuts down for lunch and then siesta. Dinner doesn’t really get going until at least 9pm, however 10pm seems to be a very popular time to start.

At 11:30 the streets are still full of people.

 

Alhambra in the background

July 2, 2022. Granada, Spain.

Another consequence of the upcoming wedding was that we needed to get congratulatory cards for Cam and Fran.

It wasn’t that easy, however, as usual, El Corte Inglés came to the rescue.

In Spain we have always found this department store to have ‘whatever’ we needed.

We then found more playgrounds, to entertain the little girls, and afterwards spent more time just wandering the streets of Granada.

That night it was Brianna’s early third birthday celebrations at Sonia and Toni’s. It was a warm night and the little girls and their dads all went for a dip in the pool.

Brianna’s birthday celebration was about a week early as she was going to be in Rome for the wedding on her actual birthday.

July 3, 2022. Granada, Spain.

This was our last day in Granada, as we were headed to Barcelona tomorrow.

Our flight was at midday, so there wouldn’t be much time to do anything more than pack and get the to airport.

I have always enjoyed Spanish coffee but after the last few weeks I feel that it isn’t as good as what we had in Portugal.

It was the size of serve and the strength that made the Portuguese coffee more enjoyable.

Summer of 2022.
Part 2: Portugal with Ev, Steph and Aida.

Monday, March 25th, 2024

June 13, 2022. Berlin, Germany to Porto, Portugal. 

Today we are off to Porto in Portugal. Getting to the airport in Berlin was easy, as we again used our €9 monthly ticket. 

However once we got there things started to go downhill. 

We had to check in via a machine, as Ryanair wanted €50 each to have their staff do it. 

It was going to be late by the time we arrived in Porto, so we felt we needed to get something substantial to eat.

There were plenty of places advertised in the airport but nothing was open. 

So it was a salami baguette for dinner. 

Then finding out what lounge the aircraft was leaving from took a long time. When we finally got there, there were nowhere near enough seats for a plane load. 

Half the passengers ended up standing, or sprawled on the floor. 

Then the flight was 20 minutes late. 

I have never had much time for Ryanair and this just confirmed my dislike of this airline.

They are not only a low cost airline they are ‘cheap’ as well.

It was an evening flight to Porto, so on arrival we went straight to an airport hotel, The Park Hotel Porto Aeroporto.

June 14, 2022. Porto, Portugal. 

Today was rather an inactive one, as we were just getting settled into Portugal and our first big adventure. We were also waiting for the arrival of Ev, Steph and their young daughter Aida, who were going to be travelling with us.

Late in the morning we moved from the airport hotel to our Airbnb in Porto.

Later that afternoon E, S and A arrived and then we all settled into our accommodation.

We were going to spend just over two weeks exploring this beautiful country. 

It would mainly be by car, travelling from Porto in the north, to Lisbon, the capital, in the south.

 

Dom Louis 1 Bridge over the Douro River

June 15, 2022. Porto, Portugal. 

It was 1974 when we were last in Portugal – this time was very different.

Back then, we were a young couple, living in Manchester, England and had brought our VW Kombi Van across the channel to tour Portugal and then travel down to Morocco.

Forty eight years later we were with our son, his wife and their young daughter, travelling together and staying in Airbnbs, not living out of our van and cooking for ourselves.

Fortunately we had a Metro station close by, so it was easy to get into Porto city centre to rediscover city. 

Tiles were the architectural feature I had forgotten about and now they struck me the most.

Igreja de Santo Ildefonso, an 18th Century church, was our first tile encounter.

This was followed by many more examples of architectural tiling. This ornamental art form is highly decorative and a symbol of Portugal to the world.

Tiling was first developed in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, almost 3,000 years BC, but it was the the Muslims that introduced the art form to Europe in the 7th Century.

In the Iberian Peninsula, it was the Moors who introduced tiling to Portugal and Spain.

The colours of blue and white seem to dominate Portuguese tiles and that, according to history, comes from the influence of Chinese porcelain.

Porto is regarded as the tile capital of Portugal. However they can be found all over the country, from small villages to major cities.

We wandered the streets and everywhere we went we encounter Portuguese Tarts, either being sold or consumed.

Needless to say we had to try them.

The Dom Louis 1 Bridge and the Douro River dominates the city, as do the steep, narrow streets.

On our walk we came across the monument to Prince (The Navigator) Henry of Portugal (1394–1460).

The Prince was a central figure in the maritime discoveries of the Portuguese Empire in the 15th Century.

We finally got to the river late in the day but rain and lack of time stopped us from crossing it.

This would have to wait for another day.

 

Train trip across the Dom Louis 1 Bridge over the Douro River

June 16, 2022. Porto, Portugal. 

Today was spent doing what we didn’t finish yesterday, mainly crossing the Douro River on the Dom Louis 1 Bridge. 

On the other side of the river we found a park for Aida to play in – they seem to be in short supply.

Then it was down to the river to have lunch, followed by a port – naturally.

We were in the Port Wine District, on the Douro River, and there was a huge sign, atop a building, for Sandeman, a very popular Portuguese port. 

Sandeman was established in 1790 and is world famous, especially the logo. This features a man known as the ‘The Don’ who is wearing a Portuguese student cape and broad brimmed Iberian hat.

It was still overcast and rain threatened.

After lunch we took a trip on the Funicular Teleféyico de Gaia. This gave us a great view of the river and the city.

Then, after a bit more city walking, we headed back over the river and visited the São Bento Railway Station, which is a UNESCO listed site in the Old City Centre. 

Built in 1905 the station is regarded as one of the jewels in the crown of Portage tiling.

It certainly is impressive and had to be seen.

It was then back on to the underground for a return trip to our Airbnb for dinner.

 

Casa da Música (Concert Hall)

June 17, 2022. Porto, Portugal. 

We stayed close to our accommodation in the morning, as we had to return to the airport to pick up a rental car in the afternoon. 

We felt that the best way to travel to Lisbon from Porto was to get a rental, that way we were in control.

Firstly it was a coffee at Ponto 2, which was right next to our Metro station.

It became our go-to in Porto, as it was a short walk from our accommodation and had a large indoor and outdoor space and the coffee wasn’t that bad. Aida loved the Portuguese style croissants there.

Then Monumento aos Heróis da Guerra Peninsular, for a photo opportunity before continuing on to the Opera House (Casa da Musica).

This is the home of the National Orchestra of Porto and an amazing piece of architecture.

Completed in 2005 and designed by Rem Koolhaas, it was the result of an international architectural tender that was motivated by Porto becoming the European Capital of Culture in 2001.

The interior is just as impressive as the outside and it even boasts it’s own original typeface for the signage.

It was built on the site of an old tram terminus.

It was then off to the Mercado Bom Sucesso for lunch with lots of aggressive and hungry pigeons.

Back to the house and then the Metro to the airport with Evan, and Aida, just to make sure we got the child seat that had been pre ordered. We felt we might need some living proof that we really did need the seat.

The seat wasn’t an issue but we were faced with a very aggressive sales woman who made sure that I took every ‘On Sell’ on offer.

I took what I needed as I did have my own insurance and felt that would cover all contingencies.

We did get a rather nice Renault 6 speed, manual Kadjar Diesel, Black Edition.

As I was going to be the designated driver, my task then was to get my brain around driving on the right, with a left hand drive vehicle again.

Once we got back from picking up the car, it was off to the local supermarket to get food for the next few days. 

We had real fun driving out from the supermarket site, as it didn’t seem to have a clear exit plan.

 

The House of Sandeman at Quinta do Seixo

June 18, 2022. Porto, Portugal. 

Fortunately our accommodation had good parking underneath, so we could do day trips and always be able to return to a free spot.

After finally getting one of the SatNavs to work properly, we drove to Amarante. The Renault had one, I had one and of course we all had phones but we did have trouble getting the one in the car to work properly.

Our first photo opportunity was the Church and Monastery of St. Gonçalo. Built in the Italian Renaissance style, both were established in 1543, by João II and completed in 1620. 

We then wandered around Amarante for a while before driving east to Pinahão.

This charming little town, is in the heart of the Port Wine country and sits on the banks of the Douro River.

We had lunch overlooking the river and then walked from there to the Pinahão Railway Station.

This is on the main train line from Porto and attracts many tourists. Again the blue tile work at the station was stunning.

It was then off to the House of Sandeman, at Quinta do Seixo, for a Port Wine experience.

As I was the ‘designated driver’ it was only a sip for me, however we did buy a bottle for Ron – ‘Later on’. 

This is the main outlet of the famous Sandeman brand and sits in the heart of the Douro Region overlooking the Douro River valley and river.

Out the front, with the best views, is the iconic Sandeman Don, complete with his Portuguese student cape and Jerez sombrero.

We had seen him atop a building in Porto and now here he was again.

Sandeman Wine was founded in 1790 by Scotsman David Sandeman. It wasn’t until 1928 that the iconic logo came into existence. It was designed, also by a Scot, George Massiot Brown.

The company was sold to Seagram in 1979 and is currently owned by the Portuguese company Sogrape. However a descendant, George Thomas David Sandeman, is a member of the board of Sogrape Vinhos.

 

World Famous Sardines of Portugal

June 19, 2022. Porto, Portugal. 

A delicious morning coffee in Porto, then off for another day of touring.

This time we headed north, for about an hour, to the historically significant city of Braga.

It hosts Portugal’s oldest Catholic archdiocese, the Archdiocese of Braga.

We were in the midst of Catholic celebrations, as the Festival of John the Baptist was in full swing when we arrived.

The actual festival wasn’t for a few days yet, on June 23, but there was still a lot of celebration and preparation happening when we arrived.

We enjoyed the atmosphere in the town centre then went for a wander around.

Portugal is famous for its sardines and they were certainly being celebrated in one particular shop.

The walls were lined with hundreds of cans of the salty treat.

We visited the Gardens of Santa Barbara, the Archbishops Palace (16th, 17th and 18th Centuries), the Town Hall (1754-1865), the Arch of the New Gate (1770) and Braga Cathedral (1089).

All the time the sky’s were darkening – rain was certainly on the way again.

We drove to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, which is high on a hill overlooking Braga.

And by the time we got there the rain had found us.

This sanctuary, was first developed in 1373, however the present structure was started in 1722.

The Baroque church, at the top of the stairway, was built around 1725 by architect Manuel Pinto Vilalobost.

After dodging the storm and trying to stay dry, Ev, Steph and Aida took the funicular back down. Thea and I then drove down to meet them and headed back to Porto.

 

Views of Nazaré

June 20, 2022. Porto to Nazaré, Portugal. 

Today we left Porto and drove to south to Nazaré. It was a relatively easy 2 hour drive, mainly on the freeways. 

Even though our Renault Kadjar seemed spacious, it did take a bit of an effort to get everything in for the move to Nazaré.

But then we were travelling with a small child and this therefore included extras like a cot and portable pusher.

Nazaré is a very popular seaside resort on the Costa de Prata, or Silver Coast. This is understandable, given the size and length of the sandy beach.

This  beach area is known as Praia, which is one of three neighbourhoods that go to make up the town.

The other two are Sitio and Pedermeira, which are elevated.

The earliest settlements were in these two towns, as they were high up and a refuge from the invading Vikings.

The Nazaré Funicular, from Praia, is an easy way to get to Sitio, which sits on a clifftop overlooking the beach.

Once we got settled into our apartment we went for a stroll around town. We were staying very close to the beach and an easy walking distance into the main town centre.

We also had good on-site parking again, so we didn’t need to worry about the car.

Now the weather was more pleasant with blue sky and moderate temperatures. However nothing like the heat wave that other parts of Europe were experiencing.

It wasn’t the ‘Tourist Season’ yet in Nazaré and the streets and beach were rather quiet.

Our accommodation was very spacious, with a large kitchen area as well as an equally large dining and living space.

That night’s dinner was a home cooked affair.

 

Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo

June 21, 2022. Nazaré, Portugal. 

It was a late start to the morning, then off for another great Portuguese coffee. 

We found the coffees in Portugal to be very much to our liking. They are full of flavour, strong and never too large and drowned in water.

Fortunately the ‘Americano’ style hasn’t reached here yet.

We then explored the Nazaré Municipal Market, which wasn’t exactly buzzing. 

In the afternoon we took the Nazaré Funicular or Elevador da Nazaré to Sitio, which sits on the cliff overlooking the main beach.

From the top of the funicular it was a good walk to Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo but unfortunately it started to rain so out came the coats and umbrellas.

Before reaching the fort we stopped to look at Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Nazaré.

This is an ancient and imposing Marian shrine, that was founded in the 14th Century and is in memory of a miracle that occurred under the intercession of the Virgin Mary. 

Praia do Norte is the beach below the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo and home to some of the world’s largest waves.

Within the fort there is a tourist centre and memorial to these huge swells with many photos and stories of the feats that have occurred here.

Currently the record for the biggest wave surfed at Praia do Norte is held by the Brazilian, Rodrigo Kota, and stands at 24.4 metres or 80 feet high from trough to crest.

Also near the entrance to the fort stands the Escultura Veado Surfista. This is a 6.30 metre, steel and marble sculpture of a surfer with a deers head and antlers.

Created by the Portuguese sculptor Adália Alberto and installed in 2016, it honours the legend of Nazaré.

‘When in Rome’ or in this case ‘When in Portugal’ do as the locals do. So tonight we had sardines for dinner at Taberna d’ Adélia.

 

Around Ōbidos

June 22, 2022. Nazaré, Portugal. 

The weather was still unusually cool for Summer. In fact it had been warmer in Berlin and that was so much further north. 

After our day in town yesterday we were off to explore some of the surrounding areas today. 

At the price of a rental you can’t leave the car in the garage for too long. 

We headed for Ōbidos, a UNESCO City of Literature. 

This was about an hours drive south of Nazaré, on the more scenic route, as we didn’t need to take the toll roads.

Just before we reached Ōbidos we discovered a Roman Aqueduct just outside of the town. Apparently there are about three kilometres of aqueduct, which connects to a further three kilometres of tunnels, which all begin at a natural spring near Usseira.

One of the city gates in Ōbidos was decorated with Azulejo. This is a form of Spanish and Portuguese painted tin-glazed ceramic tile work.

Yet again more beautiful Portuguese tiles.

St. Mary’s Square was a big tourist draw and surrounded by many cafes and restaurants.

Naturally this became our spot for lunch.

On our walk and just on the edge of the main township is the Castle of Ōbidos. This is a well preserved Medieval building.

It was a relaxing day of touring and that night we ate at home again while preparing to move again tomorrow.

 

Sardines are very popular in Portugal

June 23, 2022. Nazaré to Sintra,Portugal. 

Again we were heading south, this time to Sintra.

It was a easy two hour drive to Sintra but once we got there it was hell finding a parking spot. 

We did get a spot, that was about 100 metres from our room. However it was on a corner and possibly not legal. 

I’ll wait and see if I get caught. 

Our accommodation was yet another Airbnb and on the top floor of the apartment block. To get to the top, with all our gear, they were steep steps to climb.

This was a sign of things to come.

The village was set in the mountains outside of Lisbon and had some of the windiest streets I have ever driven around. 

It was a labyrinth of hairpin bends, some required a three point turn to negotiate. Plus there were a multitude of one way streets and very steep hills. 

There was very little available, or easily accessible parking anywhere in the city and not just near or room. 

We walked into the town centre and had some lunch. I wasn’t about to give up our precious parking spot, legal or not.

This was mostly down hill and it was only on the return journey that we realised just how steep the streets were. 

I’m glad we are only here for two nights.

Lunch was at Cafe da Vila and at €65 for all of us not to bad. They were really pushing their lower prices, which was evident by the €8 MENU signs all over the cafe walls.

We needed to get food for breakfast and provisions for Aida, so our next task was to search for a supermarket. We found a small one, near the centre of town, so had to lug around our purchases for the rest of the day.

We continued our walk around the town, fortunately most sights weren’t too far apart.

Near the centre was the National Palace of Sintra. Unfortunately it was getting late in the day and there was no time to explore the whole site, so we just settled on visiting the garden.

This is said to be the oldest palace in Portugal, with a royal structure on this site for as long as Portugal has been existence.

The palace is dominated by two, giant conical chimneys, hovering over the palace kitchen.

For dinner we found a craft brewery, Villa Craft Beer and Bread. It was not in the main tourist area so not crowded. 

The food was good and the local craft beer was excellent.

Then it was a very steep walk back to our accommodation.

Thea was starting to suffer from the climbing and we became a little suspicious about her health.

 

King Ferdinand II (1816-1885)

June 24, 2022. Sintra, Portugal. 

Raining again – where has summer gone. 

Today was one of visiting palaces – the first was the Palace of Pena.

It was a nightmare getting their by bus, as we didn’t want to drive and then try and find parking spots.

In Sintra you are more a mountain goat than a tourist – everywhere is a climb. 

I have never been in a tourist attraction that was so crowded. It was one continuous line right through the Palace interior. 

The Pena Palace was a former monastery that has suffered over the centuries.

It’s history started in the Middle Ages, when it was a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena.

A small monastery, that only housed 18 monks was built on the site in the 15th Century. Then in the 18th Century it was severely damaged by lightning. However it was the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 that left it in ruins.

In 1838 King Ferdinand II transformed the remains and turned it into his summer palace.

The current structure was built in the Romantic style and constructed between 1842 and 1854. Over time the dominant colours of red and yellow faded and it was only in the 20th Century that the colour was restored. 

In 1995 the palace and the Cultural Landscape of Sintra became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Over one of the entrances to the Palace was a relief of Triton. Was it male or female, animal, vegetable, fish or even human?

The creature is perched on a giant shell that’s surrounded by many nautical symbols. It is holding a tree trunk that is combined with vines and other flora and fauna.

In the afternoon we trekked over the valley to the 12th Century Moorish Castle. 

Again this was an exercise in mountaineering. 

The Castle of the Moors, as it is sometimes called, was built in the 8th and 9th Centuries and is included in Sintra’s UNESCO World Heritage listing.

Only the walls, some parts of the entrance gate and one tower remain of the castle. The rest was also destroyed in the Great Earthquake of 1755.

The return bus ride was even a bigger stuff up than the one going out. 

Sintra is a huge tourist destination but it’s transport system fails at every level. 

 

The view from our window in Lisbon (R. Cap. Renato Baptista 32)

June 25, 2022. Sintra to Lisbon, Portugal. 

We moved from Sintra to Lisbon, with a good break in Cabo da Roca. This is the most western point of Continental Europe. 

Once we arrived in Lisbon, the main task was to drop the car off at the airport. 

However our climbing wasn’t over yet. The apartment in Lisbon was on the second floor, the third for us, and there wasn’t a lift.

However the view of parts of Lisbon from the top floor was spectacular.

This was another Airbnb and like so many of them these days the owners or managers never check to see if everything is operational.

The electricity supply had serious issues and the power points seemed to go out when we put the oven on.

 

Old Lisbon trams

June 26, 2022. Lisbon, Portugal. 

Today was our day to explore Lisbon but before that we discovered Depozito. This was a very eclectic store that had many old posters, collectibles and packaging.

We had a shortish walk to the tram and then a ride into the centre. Lisbon, like Melbourne, is a city of trams and also like Melbourne they proudly show off their antique ones.

Travelling with Ev, Steph and Aida is very different to the way we normally do things. For one, they insist on having lunch.

Now it’s not that I deny Thea lunch when we travel alone, it’s just not that important and I usually only have a coffee and that’s it.

Lunch today was in Rua Augusta, a beautiful walking street in the heart of Lisbon, which ends at the stunning Rua Augusta Arch.

The arch and accompanying buildings were built between 1755 and 1873 to commemorate the devastating earthquake of 1755.

There was a lot of construction happening around the arch and I had my time cut out trying to crop out the cranes that were constantly in my shot.

Not far from the arch was Commerce Square and within the square was the Dom José I Statue. Then, just a little further on, was the Tagus River river front with great views of the April 25 Bridge.

Walking on even further, we then came across the Rossio Train Station. This beautiful station overlooks Rossio Square and was completed in 1890.

A feature is the two intertwined horseshoe portals at the entrance this is done in the Neo-Manueline style. This was first used during the 16th Century in Portugal.

To save our legs and to get on the right path for home we took a funicular. The ride lasted less than five minutes and cost €15.20 for the four of us. Not great value, but it did save us having to climb yet another hill.

Before reaching our apartment we came across a weird park, with all sorts of birds, including roosters and hens. 

Just near the ‘Bird Park’ was a monument to Dr. Sousa Martins.

Because of his work with the poor in Lisbon, he was certainly well liked. Testament to that was the number of notes, memorials and flowers around his statue.

That night we ate in again and battled with the electricity.

 

The view from Miradouro de Santa

June 27, 2022. Lisbon, Portugal. 

View points was the the theme of today’s tour around Lisbon .

This was partly driven by our desire to see more of the city sights from high up. The view from our apartment was rather good and we felt it could only get better.

We bought a day ticket on the public transport system. This gave us 24 hours travel on the trams, trains, buses and funiculars

The view of Lisbon from Miradouro da Senhora Monte was voted the best after we visited Miradouro da Graça and Miradouro de Santa Luzia.

However we did see some more beautiful Portuguese tile work at Miradouro de Santa Luzia.

We went up to the Castle of St. Jorge but the queue was too long and the guide books suggested that it wasn’t worth the effort to go inside.

Then we tried, for a second time, to get the Santa Justa Lift, but again the line was long and we were running out of time.

That night Ev and Steph were going out for a delayed wedding anniversary dinner and we were on baby sitting duty.

Then the power went out again just as we were preparing dinner

This AirBnB has serious problems.

 

The Refectory

June 28, 2022. Lisbon, Portugal. 

We caught the train to Belēm, which sits on the Tagus River.

The main reason was to visit the Jerónimos Monastery, however we did stop by the river for a bit of a stroll before putting our tourist hats on.

It was here that we got another view of the April 25 Bridge, this time from the west.

Surrounding the Monastery were lots of green space and parks. In one of them was a very imposing monument to Afonso de Albuquerque (1453-1515).

Alfonso served as the Portuguese viceroy to India from 1509 to 1515. He became known as a strong military leader who helped Portugal to expand its territory across the Indian Ocean.

I wonder how long it will be before the anti colonial movement will push to have his name wiped from the history books and the statue pulled down?

The Jerónimos Monastery was erected in the 1500s, near the departure point of Vasco da Gama’s first journey. It was built in the Portuguese Gothic Manueline style and funded by a tax on the profits taken from the Portuguese India Armadas.

In 1880 Vasco da Gama’s remains were moved there and in 1983 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

There was a very long line waiting to enter and we took it in turns to hold our position in the queue.

It has been very well maintained and restored and we did take some time to wander around its vast interior, visiting the Refectory and the Church.

It did take 100 years to build and with the funding coming from the Portuguese Empire no money was spared.

After the Monastery, we returned back to the river and visited the Padrão dos Descobrimentos Monument.

This Monument to the Discoveries was opened in 1940 and designed by Portuguese architect José Ângelo Cottinelli Telmo, and sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida.

It was only meant to be a temporary beacon during the Portuguese World Exhibition of 1940 and was demolished in 1943. However there was so much resistance to the loss that this new and permanent monument was erected in 1960.

A constant sight, over the Tagus River, is aircraft coming in from the south west to land at Lisbon Airport. They were arriving at a rate of about one every two minutes. 

I guess they are all full of tourists. 

Over the course of the last few weeks I have been playing the ‘Kelpie’ and spending a fair bit of my time rounding up Aida.  

It’s been a lot of fun.

Tonight we gave up on battling with the apartment’s electrical issues and went out for dinner at Ortónimo, a restaurant that was just down the street.

This was our last night in Portugal, it was off to Spain tomorrow.

The best of both worlds.

Thursday, March 23rd, 2023

On a recent ‘overseas trip’, well it was over the bay to Queenscliff, we visited the Queenscliff Brewhouse for lunch.

This is a great craft brewery and restaurant, just a short walk from the ferry terminal.

There I had an IPA (India Pale Ale), which isn’t unusual, but the beer certainly was.

It was described as a Chardonnay IPA.

I got chatting to a guy, who was sitting at a table near by, and he believed it was matured in Chardonnay oak barrels, which made perfect sense.

Then I got talking to the manager and got the full picture. He took me behind the bar and showed me the ‘Barman’s briefing notes’ that were attached to the beer tap.

And sure enough, it was matured in Chardonnay barrels but it also contained 7% of the wine itself.

It was a great American, West Coast style, IPA with a fruity character, obviously helped by the inclusion of the Chardonnay.

If you like your wine but want a beer, this is for you.

A common side effect of Covid.

Tuesday, October 18th, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lack of staff at service venues was rampant when we left Australia five months ago. 

It’s exactly the same in a lot of Great Britain right now. 

Most of these ‘Staff Wanted’ signs were taken in Northern Island and Wales. 

Surprisingly, the last one was captured at Campernile, our airport hotel in Berlin. 

The results of this shortage, especially in Great Britain, are that many places are closed or only offering limited service and hours. 

During our recent trip we found ourselves forced to eat dinner between 5:30pm and 6:00pm, as the venues were booked out after that and many were closing at 7:30pm.

They just didn’t have the kitchen or serving staff to stay open later.

This pandemic has many symptoms and they are widespread.