Northern Europe
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Exploring Moscow’s Lubyanka District
After a leisurely breakfast we took the metro to Lubyanka to make a return visit to the Central Children’s Store next door to the station. It had only been open about 40 minutes and few people were about as we took one of the lifts to the top floor to visit the Museum of Childhood.…
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A Festive Visit to VDNKh Park Moscow: Christmas Lights and Ice Skating
After the previous morning’s disappointing egg order, I managed to achieve success by showing the chef a photo of some fried eggs on my iPad. She seemed to understand, smiled, and then served up some delicious, runny yolks for me to dip my toast into. Eventually we were ready to embark on a day’s sightseeing…
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Moscow University and its metro stations
We enjoyed another leisurely breakfast in the hotel’s executive lounge, which was lovely and quiet compared to the main restaurant across the corridor. I started the day with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice from a hand press which had a sign in front of it suggesting that it was good morning exercise. After…
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Discover Red Square and the Kremlin: Moscow’s Historic Heart
After sleeping like logs, we tucked into a delicious breakfast in the hotel’s executive lounge where we had been invited after receiving a complimentary room upgrade. The buffet selection was broadly similar to the main hotel restaurant but we received a more personal service from the waiting staff and were able to sit back and…
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Moscow – the ultimate winter break
The previous evening I had taken the train to London to meet up with my son in Hammersmith. We’d chosen Hammersmith as it was on the Piccadilly Line and meant we hadn’t far to trundle our large suitcases. After a tasty meal of fish and chips we returned to the nearby underground station for a…
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Stuttgart’s Rack Railway
We allowed ourselves an extra hour in bed and then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant. The IBIS had a good selection of hot and cold dishes and in one corner a waffle station where guests could make their own fresh waffles. As we had arranged a late check out we left our…
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Guide to Stuttgart’s Motor Museums: Mercedes-Benz & Porsche Experiences
After enjoying a varied selection of dishes for breakfast in our hotel’s restaurant we were ready to set off exploring. If cars are your thing then Stuttgart is definitely the place to visit as the city is the home of Mercedes and Porsche. Both of these motor manufacturers have museums on the outskirts of the…
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Stuttgart City Break: How to Get There, What to See, Do, and Eat
It was a wet and windy start to the day as we travelled by train to Manchester Airport for our lunch-time Ryanair flight to the German city of Stuttgart. There was ample time to pop into Costa for some pre-flight sandwiches and cups of coffee before boarding our Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Luckily I had been…
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Exploring Wrocław: what to see and do
After a leisurely breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant, we checked out of our room and stored our luggage until late afternoon. The Ibis Styles Wroclaw Centrum had been a good choice for our short break and its location near the railway station and the airport bus terminus provided us with easy access to public transport.…
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The Best of Wrocław: What to See, Do, and Experience
Day One After enjoying recent visits to Gdansk and Warsaw we decided to spend a weekend in Wroclaw, Poland’s fourth largest city. Ryanair were offering low cost flights from Leeds-Bradford Airport on a Friday evening, enabling us to enjoy two full days in south western Poland. Our flight departed on time and in a little…
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Frankfurt’s Hidden Gem: The Deutsche Bundesbank Museum Guide
Our short break in Frankfurt was sadly drawing to a close as we enjoyed breakfast on our final morning at the IBIS Styles Frankfurt City. The hotel had been very pleasant ticking all the boxes for us with its modern stylish decor, good breakfast selection and quiet yet convenient location between the city’s central railway…
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Frankfurt Transport Museum: A Must for Transport Lovers
After a leisurely hotel breakfast, we wrapped up warm and set off to the nearby U Bahn station at Hauptbahnhof from where we travelled the short distance to Willy-Brandt-Platz. From there, we transferred to a No.12 tram which had conveniently just arrived as we were approaching the tram stop. It was then a 20 minute…
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Exploring Frankfurt – Top Things to See, Do and Eat in Germany’s Financial Capital
The bed was so comfortable we had both slept like logs and didn’t stir until our alarm went off at 8.00 a.m. Complimentary breakfast is served in the restaurant located just behind the reception area on the ground floor. As well as the usual array of fresh fruit, yoghurt, cheese and cooked meats I was…
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Frankfurt Travel Guide – Airport Arrival and where to stay
It had been awhile since our last visit to Germany and the idea of a short break in Frankfurt appealed as it was a city we were unfamiliar with. Our flight with Ryanair was from Manchester airport and we stayed overnight at the Ancoats Travelodge, getting the holiday off to a good start. The hotel…
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Lapland Hotels Tampere, Finland Review
Hotel Review Location Tampere is located in southern Finland, 160 km (100 miles) north of the capital Helsinki. Lapland Hotels Tampere is just a few minutes walk from the railway station and the city centre attractions. I flew from Helsinki and arrived into Tampere Pirkkala airport which is 17km (10.6 miles) from the city centre…
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Exploring Museums in Vilnius: A Guide to the City’s Best Cultural Gems
It was our final day in Vilnius but we had plenty of time to explore more of the Lithuanian capital as our flight home wasn’t until late in the evening. We’d managed to arrange a late check-out until 4.00 p.m. which was helpful and after a leisurely breakfast we wandered along the road to the…
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Vilnius Museum of Illusions: A Fun and Mind-Bending Experience for All Ages
We started the day with a visit to the Museum of Illusions on the edge of the old town. The museum is open daily from 9.00 a.m.- 9.00 p.m. with adult entrance tickets €10 (£8.73) and free for accompanied children under the age of 7. Please note that this museum is not included in the…
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Vilnius to Trakai Day Trip: Visit the Famous Island Castle and Lakeside Town
The rain clouds of the previous day had cleared resulting in a dull but fine morning. We enjoyed a lie in and a leisurely breakfast as we had planned a visit to Trakai for mid-morning. Trakai was the former capital of ancient Lithuania and its 14th century castle was the summer home of the Lithuanian…
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Top Things to Do in Vilnius City Centre: Landmarks and Dining
We’d noticed that Ryanair operated flights to Vilnius from our local airport so we couldn’t resist the temptation of arranging a first visit to Lithuania. The flight schedule was quite good with our outbound flight departing Leeds-Bradford airport at 4.00 p.m. on a Friday afternoon and returning late evening on a Tuesday, giving us four…
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Discover Stockholm Public Library: Reasons to Visit This Iconic Landmark
Our final day in Stockholm and just enough time before heading back to the airport to fit in a visit to the Stockholm Public Library in Odenplan. I love visiting libraries wherever I travel and what a delightful one this was. The library, which was designed by Gunnar Asplund and completed in 1928, is one…
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Spending a Day in Fisksätra: Explore the Beauty of the Stockholm Archipelago
We made a leisurely start to our final full day in Stockholm with a forest walk through the nearby Solna neighbourhood and then a look around the shopping centre next to the Solna Centrum metro station. From the exterior, the shopping mall appeared quite small but once inside, we were surprised to find it was…
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Stockholm to Uppsala by Train: Perfect Day Trip Itinerary
An early start to the day and a chance to see a little more of Sweden by visiting Uppsala, Sweden’s 4th largest city. Getting there was quick and easy as we took a bus to Odenplan station where we had been the previous evening. From there, we connected to a train to Uppsala. At the…
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Ultimate Guide to Sightseeing in Stockholm: What to See and Do
We’d decided to spend the morning exploring the Östermalm district and had read about its famous old market hall which has been in existence since 1888. It’s currently being renovated and until it’s completion in summer 2019 the market has moved to temporary premises nearby. It was only a short walk from the metro to…
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Guide to Stockholm’s Käknas Observation Tower: How to Visit and What to See
Yet another beautiful clear morning so we took the opportunity of taking in the views from the top of the Käknas Observation Tower which is located in Museum Park. Getting there was easy as we took the 69K bus from the city centre which takes passengers to the tower entrance. Another option would be to…
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