It was 8.00 a.m. when we drew back the curtains after sleeping soundly for almost ten hours, catching up on deprived sleep from the previous night of travelling. Soon we were ready to experience breakfast in the Jakarta Novotel's restaurant on the 6th floor. We found a vast array of cooked dishes under stainless steel …
Continue reading Day 6. Exploring Jakarta’s colonial heritage
It was 8.00 a.m. by the time we managed to rouse ourselves from our luxuriously comfortable bed, and on opening the window blinds were pleased to note that weather in the Middle East had returned to normal, following the previous day's heavy rain. After another leisurely breakfast on the Al Terrace balcony we sipped cappuccinos …
Continue reading Day 3. Visiting the Qatar National Library and Aspire Park, Doha
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 …
We woke to the sound of heavy rain beating against the windows and on checking the forecast it seemed to be set in for the day. Breakfast was again tasty with some different hot dishes from the previous morning. I spotted some cream of mushroom soup which isn't something I would usually have for breakfast …
After breakfast, we took the metro to the new central business district, known as Moscow City. Located at the Delovoy Tsentr metro stop, the station has a modern 'high-tech' feel to blend in with the skyscraper landscape above ground. Moscow City consists of several towers built in futuristic styles, each tower having its own distinctive …
After a leisurely breakfast we were ready for a morning of sightseeing in Birmingham's city centre. Our first stop was to the Great Western Arcade, an elegant Victorian shopping arcade built in 1876 over the Great Western Railway line. The arcade has two entrances, one on Temple Row and the other on Colmore Row, the …
Haukilahti is a small coastal town in Espoo located between Westend and Matinkylä. It's just a 20 minute journey from central Helsinki and is a lovely place to visit on a sunny day. We decided to take a walk along the waterfront walkway / cycle path which is known as Espoon Rantaraitti and is clearly …
We woke at 7.00 am but struggled to get out of bed for another half an hour. Fortunately the monsoon shower head invigorated me and we were soon ready to experience our first breakfast in Taipei. The Green World Grand Nanjing hotel restaurant, located on the 2nd floor was called 'Find the Life Kitchen' and had …
Continue reading Day 10. Yangmingshan National Park and Beitou Hot Springs
Feeling a little jet lagged we were up at 6.00 am so we helped ourselves to complimentary cappuccinos in the hotel's Club Lounge. Sipping our drinks, we chatted with some flight crews staying in the hotel, from both American Airlines and Jet Blue. It was interesting to hear how they spent their free time between …
Continue reading Day 2. Grand Central Station, New York City
I may be a little biased having been brought up in the north west of England but there is no better way to get into the festive spirit than to visit Manchester during the Christmas season. Throughout December many of the city's streets and squares are bustling with festive activity. Attractive Christmas market stalls adorned …
