Travel
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Visiting Thorp Perrow Arboretum in the Yorkshire Dales
I’ve always enjoyed woodland walks and when it was suggested that we visit an arboretum I was eager to explore Thorp Perrow Arboretum, which boasts one of the largest collections of trees and shrubs in the north of England. These include the national collection of Ash, Lime, Laburnum, Walnut and Cotinus. The Arboretum is located…
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How to visit the Riga Open-Air Museum
On our final day in Riga we woke to clear blue skies enabling us to experience Latvia’s natural beauty outside the capital. After enjoying our final breakfast at the Ibis Riga Centre we gathered our belongings together and left our bags at reception, as our flight home wasn’t until late in the evening giving us…
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Guide to Majori: Riga’s Seaside Resort
A dry start to the day after the previous day’s torrential downpours meant that we could return to our planned activities. So, after a leisurely hotel breakfast we crossed the road to the nearby railway station and purchased return tickets to the coastal town of Majori. Single tickets for the 30 minute journey cost €1.40…
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Exploring Riga, Latvia
Our hearts sank as we drew back the curtains to see torrential rain beating against the windows, causing us to rethink our plans for the day! First though, it was off to breakfast which is served in the basement of the hotel. The cellars have been tastefully converted into two eating areas with a third…
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Riga City Break
Having enjoyed visiting Tallinn in Estonia on numerous occasions, we decided to explore its neighbour Latvia for the first time. We booked flights with the low cost carrier Ryanair from Leeds Bradford airport which were very reasonably priced. It was an early start to the day as we needed to get up at…
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A walk along the Kennet & Avon canal in Newbury
What could be nicer on a warm, sunny spring day than to enjoy a leisurely wander along a canal towpath. With this in mind, we jumped in the car and drove to Newbury, a market town in West Berkshire. The town is approximately 30 minutes drive from Oxford and about an hour by train from…
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Visiting Knaresborough & Mother Shipton’s Cave
Although we are frequent visitors to the spa town of Harrogate it’s awhile since we visited the attractive North Yorkshire market town of Knaresborough yet it’s only 4 miles from there. We had come to visit Mother Shipton’s Cave, England’s oldest paying visitor attraction which has been open to the public since 1630. Admission is…
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Exploring Bingley Five Rise Locks in West Yorkshire
We decided to visit Bingley to view the famous Five Rise Lock staircase on the Leeds Liverpool canal, which is the steepest in Britain. Bingley is located in West Yorkshire and can be accessed by train as Bingley is on the Airedale Line with regular services from Leeds and Bradford. The Locks are approximately half…
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Guide to visiting the National Science & Media Museum, Bradford
After enjoying our visit to MediaCityUK in Salford we decided it was time to take a look around the National Science and Media Museum based in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The museum is devoted to Film, Photography and Television and the science of light and sound, which is part of the National Science group. The museum is…
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Exploring the Royal Castle Warsaw
A bright, sunny morning to start the final day of our short break in Warsaw so after breakfast we took the bus to the old town which was looking so much nicer than on our earlier visit. We started our tour in the old town market place with its Dutch inspired houses. The pedestrianised cobbled…
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A walk to Lazienki Park, Warsaw
We woke to heavy overnight snow which was surprising for late March, leaving the city looking beautiful in the sun. We started the day with a visit to the Museum of Life Under Communism located on the left bank of the river in the Praga district. To get there, we took Tram 22 from Centrum.…
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Guide to visiting Wilanow Palace, Warsaw
After enjoying the Ibis Hotel Warsaw Centrum buffet breakfast, we were ready for a busy day exploring more of Warsaw’s attractions. Our first stop was at the Royal Lazienki Park which was only a 15 minute walk from the hotel. It’s the largest park in Warsaw and was designed in 17th century Baroque style. Just…
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A Weekend in Warsaw
We arrived in Warsaw the previous evening on a Ryanair flight from Leeds-Bradford Airport. Our flight departed promptly at 16.10 arriving into Modlin, Warsaw’s second airport. Transferring into the city centre was very easy with tickets costing 19zl (£3.95) per person, available from a machine in the baggage hall. A regular shuttle bus service then…
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A Short Break in Clapham, North Yorkshire: A Complete Guide
We decided to spend a couple of days in Clapham, located just off the A65 in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. After the previous day’s sunshine we were disappointed to be setting off in heavy rain but were hopeful that the weather would improve as we neared our destination. Our first stop was to the…
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Guide to visiting Ingleborough Cave, Clapham, North Yorkshire
Our four poster bed was so comfortable at the New Inn that I could have slept in longer if it wasn’t for the lovely view of Clapham Beck from the bedroom window along with a glimpse of early morning sunshine. Breakfast was served in the hotel’s bistro where we found a varied selection of fruit,…
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A weekend in Norwich
After enjoying recent weekends away in Bristol and Birmingham we decided to turn our attention to Norwich and take a look at the county town of Norfolk. Norwich lies approximately 100 miles (161 km) north east of London in East Anglia. We travelled by train and coming from the north of England, I took a…
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Norwich Travel Guide: What to See, Do & Experience
After a hearty breakfast in The Bell Hotel we were ready to spend the day viewing more of the city’s cultural attractions. We’d planned our first stop at the Plantation Garden but on the way discovered a hidden gem. Tucked away on Bethel Street is the South Asia Decorative Arts & Crafts Collection museum and…
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A Day in Great Yarmouth: Top Things to See and Do
After breakfast in Norwich we travelled by train to the seaside resort of Great Yarmouth. Getting there from Norwich is very easy with a frequent service on Greater Anglia trains and journey times of 35 minutes, with off-peak return fares costing £8.30. Arriving into Great Yarmouth, we followed signs to the seafront, the route taking…
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How to enjoy a riversde walk in Norwich
After checking out of our hotel the Travelodge, Norwich Central Riverside and leaving our luggage to collect later in the day, we walked across the city to visit Elm Hill. This historic, cobbled lane is the most complete medieval street in Norwich with many of its buildings dating back to the Tudor period. The photogenic…
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A weekend in Gdansk, Poland
A few weeks ago we noticed that Ryanair was offering bargain priced flights to Gdansk, and as we’d enjoyed our previous visit to Krakow, the opportunity to visit a second Polish destination seemed irresistible. Our flight departed Leeds-Bradford airport promptly at 9.30 a.m. taking just two hours over to Lech Walesa airport. The airport is…
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Gdansk: City centre highlights
After a leisurely breakfast in our hotel we strolled along the riverside promenade known as Long Bridge admiring its historical granaries and huge crane gate. The Żuraw Crane is one of the finest intact medieval cranes in Europe and, interestingly, it also acted as a city gate and defensive fortification. It was built to hoist…
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Visiting Sopot and Gdynia from Gdańsk: The Perfect Day Trips on Poland’s Baltic Coast
Gdansk and it’s nearby sister cities of Sopot and Gdynia are collectively known as Tricity, so after breakfast we set off to Gdansk Glowny station to embark on our journey. Trains in Tricity are operated by SKM and have a distinctive blue and yellow livery. Tickets need to be bought either from the SKM desks…
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Malbork Castle from Gdańsk: How to Visit the World’s Largest Castle
I’d read about Malbork Castle and was eager to visit whilst staying in Gdansk. It is the largest brick built castle in the world and was constructed in the thirteenth century. Malbork lies 69km from Gdansk and is easily accessible by train with numerous services daily. It’s on the main line to Warsaw, so tickets…
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Day Trip from Gdańsk to Oliwa: What to See & Do
On our final morning in Gdansk we took the SKM train to the suburb of Oliwa, located 5 km to the north of the city centre. Single tickets cost 3.8 zl (80p) for the short journey to this prosperous neighbourhood. Leaving the station, we headed to the main road from where it was only a…