Wroclaw

Day 1. Wrocław, Poland – a city break

Poland has become one of my most visited countries, I enjoy spending time there so much.  After selecting Poznan for a festive break last year, this time we decided to head to Poland's fourth largest city Wrocław.  It's located on the Oder River in the Lower Silesian region of the south west of the country. …

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Review: The Adventures of Peter Pan, Manchester Opera House 10-31st December 2022

Christmas wouldn't be the same without an evening at the theatre and I can't think of anything better to get myself into the festive spirit than a night at the panto. After being enthralled with the top notch production of Aladdin last year at the Manchester Opera House I couldn't wait to return to see …

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Poznan Old Town Square

Day 4. Poznan Old Town

It was our final day in Poznan and at last the sun had decided to put in an appearance, enhancing the beauty of the tall and colourful former merchant's houses surrounding the Old Town Square.  Many of these buildings were reconstructed following heavy damage during the Second World War and are exact replicas of the …

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Poznan Houses

Day 3. Poznan Palm House and Lake Malta Ski Slope

It had been snowing throughout the night leaving a glistening white blanket covering everything as we ventured outdoors.  After walking down to Wroclawska we caught Tram 5 to Park Wilsona so that we could visit the Palm House.  This park is located in the Lazarz district and dates back to 1834 when the city's first …

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Snowy trees in Poznan, Poland

Day 2. Exploring Poznan, Poland

After a hearty breakfast in our hotel we took Tram 3 to Citadel Park in the Kmieca district, just north of the city centre.  There had been a light sprinkling of snow overnight which had given the park a winter wonderland like appearance.  The park sits on Winiary Hill covering 89 hectares and was a …

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Poznan Christmas Market

Day 1. Poznan – a Polish winter city break

To coincide with the introduction of Ryanair's new route between Manchester and Poznań we decided to check out another of Poland's city break destinations.  Poznań is the capital of the Wielkopolska region and noted for its Renaissance Town Hall as well as being being home to Poland's oldest cathedral.  Our flight the previous afternoon departed …

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Derby Guildhall

Derby – a festive city break

A surprise invitation dropped into my inbox inviting me to enjoy a festive break in Derby on the weekend before Christmas.  It's always fun to visit somewhere new and with the prospect of some sightseeing, shopping, eating, drinking and a night at the panto it took me less than a minute to decide to say …

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Manchester Christmas Markets

Manchester Christmas market and a night at the pantomime

It wouldn’t be a proper Christmas for me without a visit to Manchester as it's a city that knows exactly how to put on the Yuletide cheer.  Christmas markets are to be found all over the centre and when darkness falls the charming little wooden huts take on even more of a magical charm with …

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London Christmas Lights

Day 1. A Festive London Break

It's always fun to spend time in London especially at Christmas and with exceptionally good timing we just managed to squeeze in a short break days before the Government announced stricter COVID-19 measures.  Hotel rates had dropped significantly in recent months meaning that we were able to book a bargain stay in the affluent borough …

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National Mining Museum of Scotland

Day 3. Visiting the National Mining Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh

The rain clouds of the previous day seemed to have vanished but had been replaced by a strong wind so we wrapped up warm and after coming to life with bacon sandwiches and coffee, we wandered along Princes Street to visit Jenners. This famous department store has been part and parcel of Edinburgh's history since …

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