Travel
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The Crown and Thistle Hotel, Abingdon Review
Overview: The Crown and Thistle dates from around 1605, and is a Grade II listed property comprising of three individual buildings clustered around a cobblestone courtyard. It is thought that the hotel takes its name from the uniting of the English and Scottish Crowns under King James VI of Scotland and King James I of…
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Helsinki Biennial 2023 – Vallisaari Island
The second biennial arranged by Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) took place between June-September this year with its main venue being on Vallisaari Island. I didn’t have an opportunity to attend the inaugural exhibition so I looked forward to being in Finland when the second one was happening. The Biennial is divided between Vallisaari and Helsinki…
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The Black Swan Hotel, Helmsley Review
Overview: The Black Swan Hotel is a characterful inn dating back to the 15th century with an Elizabethan building on one end, a Tudor one on the other and a Georgian House sandwiched in between. Location: The hotel is located in the centre of the attractive town of Helmsley within the North York Moors…
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Caracalla Spa, Baden-Baden: A Complete Guide to Germany’s Famous Thermal Baths
We were blessed with sunshine once again on our final day in south west Germany and what better way to end our trip than with a visit to the stunning Caracalla Spa in the centre of Baden-Baden. The town’s Roman Baths date all the way back to the first century when the Roman emperor Caracalla…
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A Scenic Walk Through Baden-Baden, Germany: Culture, Parks & Architecture
After sleeping soundly at our hotel in Gutach, we tucked into a delicious breakfast spread served to our table at Gasthof Hirsch. With freshly baked croissants, eggs, cold cuts of meat, fruit and cheese to tempt us, we definitely overindulged setting us up for the day ahead. Back in the car, it was just an…
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Exploring Triberg Waterfalls and the Black Forest Open-Air Museum in Gutach
After starting the day with a delicious buffet breakfast at the characterful Hotel Hirschen which included ham, eggs, cheese, fresh fruit and rye bread we were ready to load up the car and continue our road trip through the Black Forest. Our first stop of the day was the town of Triberg, famous for its…
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Top Things to Do in Freiburg and the Hochschwarzwald, Germany
After a good night’s sleep we started the day with a delicious buffet breakfast at the Park Hotel Post setting us up nicely for the day ahead. Our morning began with a stroll over to the cobbled Münsterplatz (main square) where a large market was already underway. The market takes place each morning with the…
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A Day in Freiburg: Exploring the Heart of the Black Forest
We took an early morning flight from London Heathrow to Basel airport, officially referred to as Euro Airport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg. The airport lies in France on the south western edge of the Black Forest, close to the borders with Switzerland and Germany. Passengers are able to depart from either the Swiss or French side…
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Porta Superia Boutique B&B Mechelen, Belgium Review
Hotel Review Mechelen is one of Flanders five art cities and an absolute hidden gem. The city is located 13 miles (21 km) from Brussels. I suggest escaping the crowds of Bruges and taking time to spend a day or two exploring this charming city. Location: The 4 star rated boutique Porta Superia B &…
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Top Things to Do in Tallinn Using the Tallinn Card
Tallinn is one of the best preserved Hanseatic old towns in Europe and its delightful old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Whether you are arriving by air, ferry or cruise ship the old town is easily reachable within 15 minutes. We travelled on the luxurious Tallink My Star ferry from…
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The Harrogate Inn Review
Hotel Review Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire noted for its beautiful parks, gardens, elegant buildings, Turkish baths, high class shops and tearooms. I recently had the pleasure of visiting the town and staying at the beautiful Harrogate Inn. Overview: The Harrogate Inn is a historic, centrally located hotel formerly known as the…
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Tallink MyStar Review: Ferry Experience from Helsinki to Tallinn
On our recent visit to Helsinki we arranged a trip on the flagship Tallink MyStar. As ferries depart up to seven times a day we opted to take the popular 10.30 a.m. service. MyStar entered operational service in December 2022 and has since been sailing on Tallink’s Gulf of Finland route between its homeport of…
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Royal Kings Arms Hotel, Lancaster Review
Hotel Review Location: The Royal Kings Arms Hotel is centrally located in the historic city of Lancaster and within easy walking distance of all the main sights and shops. The hotel was originally constructed in the 17th century in the reign of Charles 1 but was later rebuilt in 1879 following a devastating fire. Getting…
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How to Visit Fiskars Village on a Day Trip from Helsinki
Fiskars is a beautiful ironworks village surrounded by lakes and forests and home to many artists and craftspeople. It’s a lovely place to enjoy the Finnish countryside and can be reached from Helsinki in approximately 75 minutes by car or slightly longer by public transport. Visitors without cars can take a train to Karjaa then…
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CASA Hotel, Chesterfield Review
Hotel Review Location: The CASA Hotel is one of Derbyshire’s leading four star hotels and is conveniently located on the outskirts of Chesterfield, 6 miles from Junction 29 of the M1 motorway. For guests arriving into Chesterfield by train, East Midlands Railway offer regular services to the town from Norwich, London, Sheffield, Nottingham and Leeds. The…
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Top Things to Do in Aldeburgh, Suffolk: A Travel Guide
If you fancy a few days at the seaside in an unspoilt part of the country, then look no further than Aldeburgh as this East Anglian resort is hard to beat. Read on to discover lots of lovely things to see and do and of where to stay. Getting there: Aldeburgh is a seaside resort…
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The Midland Hotel, Morecambe Review
Hotel Review The Midland Hotel is an iconic 1930’s hotel and a classic example of Art-Deco architecture with its graceful curved lines designed to reflect the sweep of Morecambe Bay. This modernist masterpiece was built opposite the former Morecambe Promenade railway station and more recently has undergone extensive renovations to return it to its former…
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Top Things to Do in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk: A Complete Guide
Bury St. Edmunds is a delightful market town located in Suffolk, south east England. The town lies 32 miles north east of Cambridge with London being an 82 mile drive. With good road links and Greater Anglia rail services from both London Kings Cross and Liverpool Street stations, Bury St. Edmunds is an ideal location…
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The Tempest Arms, Elslack, Skipton Review
Hotel Review The Tempest Arms is a newly refurbished 17th century country inn nestled in beautiful countryside on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales boasting a restaurant, 21 bedrooms and suites. Location: The inn is located in the small village of Elslack within a 15 minute drive of the picturesque market town of Skipton, North…
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Exploring the Heights of Abraham and Crich Tramway Village: A Perfect Day Out
There are no end of lovely things to see and do in Derbyshire and we’d saved two of the Peak District’s top attractions for our final day. Our morning started with a 25 minute journey to Matlock Bath to visit the Heights of Abraham hilltop estate. Parking is available at the nearby railway station and…
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Exploring Barrow Hill Roundhouse and Enjoying a Chesterfield Canal Cruise
After enjoying a delicious breakfast of eggs benedict at the CASA Hotel in Chesterfield it was just a three mile drive to the Barrow Hill Roundhouse Museum at Staveley. This 19th Century Grade II listed building is the last remaining operational railway roundhouse in the United Kingdom. The Roundhouse was constructed in 1870 by the…
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Visiting Hardwick Hall and Chesterfield in Derbyshire: A Complete Guide
I’ve enjoyed numerous weekends in the beautiful Derbyshire Peak District but this was the first time that I’d had an opportunity to visit during the warmer, summer months. We made an early start one Saturday in July and after travelling down the M1 in bright sunshine we arrived at Hardwick Hall just as it was…
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The Roseate Reading Review
Hotel Review Overview: The Roseate Reading is a luxurious five star hotel in the centre of Reading. The building was originally the Berkshire County Council Shire Hall and since becoming a hotel has been fully restored to its former glory. Location: Reading lies on the River Thames in south east England and is easily accessible by…
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Discover Harrogate: A Complete Travel Guide to This Historic Spa Town
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire noted for its beautiful parks and gardens, elegant buildings, Turkish baths, high class shops and tearooms. During the Victorian era the town became very popular as a spa town thanks to the curative properties of its high sulphur content mineral springs. Harrogate attracted the great and the…
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