Travel
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Visiting Wicken Fen Nature Reserve
One wintry weekend we decided to visit the Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve in East Anglia. It’s one of Britain’s oldest nature reserves and it has been owned by the National Trust since 1899. My husband is a keen ornithologist, so equipped with binoculars and hiking boots we drove to the Cambridgeshire Fens. As we approached the…
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My journey to Tampere, Finland
Those of you who are regular readers of my blog may already be aware that recently I won an international blog contest organised by Talent Tampere a division of Business Tampere which links companies with internationals and their networks. My prize was a four day visit to Tampere, Finland’s third largest city to explore the international…
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Visiting the Moomin Museum and Experiencing Tampere’s Winter Nature
I wish all mornings could start like this, waking in my luxurious suite at the Lapland Hotels Tampere and then enjoying a delicious breakfast in the hotel’s Dabbal restaurant. The dining area oozes Nordic charm having Lapland styled furnishings such as reindeer rugs and antler horns. The buffet breakfast included several Lapland delicacies such as…
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Crazy Town, Tampere
After sampling more Lapland delicacies at breakfast, I donned my boots and warm coat and walked across town with Maiju, my host from Talent Tampere. The conditions were perfect for walking, the snow being crisp underfoot with no dangerous icy patches to contend with. Our first destination of the day was at Crazy Town which…
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Vaprikki Museum, Tampere: a guide
My visit to the beautiful Finnish city of Tampere was coming to an end but there was still enough time for me to visit the Vapriikki Museum located by the Tammerkoski rapids in the centre of town. Vapriikki is located in the old factory building of the Tampella engineering company who produced locomotives, turbines and…
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A Day in Southampton: What to See & Do
I decided to visit Southampton to explore its rich, maritime history. It’s a port city in Hampshire located on the south coast of England and is now known as the cruise capital of Europe. The Pilgrim Fathers sailed the Mayflower from Southampton in 1620 taking settlers to the new world of America. More recently, in…
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Bolton Abbey, Wharfedale – a winter break
The Yorkshire Dales offers some beautiful scenery and walking trails so we packed our walking boots and set off bright and early one late January morning for an overnight visit. We decided to stay in Bolton Abbey nestled in the heart of Wharfedale. It’s a picturesque village located between Skipton and Harrogate in North Yorkshire.…
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Bolton Abbey Estate Guide: What to See, Walks & Parking
It was such a peaceful start to the day, being able to wake gently and admire the countryside views as we pulled back the curtains. Breakfast was served in the conservatory which was bathed in sunlight as we took our seats. We helped ourselves to some cheese, fruit and yogurt and then chose hot dishes…
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Marks & Spencer Company Archive on the Leeds Heritage Trail
Michael Marks, a Russian born Polish refugee, opened his first penny bazaar in a covered arcade in Leeds in 1884. His slogan was ‘Don’t ask the price, it’s a penny’ and after successful trading, went into partnership ten years later with Tom Spencer, creating the beginnings of the company we know today. To celebrate the…
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Rome City Break Walking Guide: How to Explore Rome on Foot
As we had booked an early morning flight from London Heathrow, we decided to stay overnight at the London Hounslow Travelodge which was easily accessible from the Piccadilly Line. We found a J.D. Wetherspoon pub nearby and took advantage of their Thursday evening curry night specials before returning to our room for a few hours sleep. It…
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Rome & the Vatican: Top Attractions and Must-See Sights
We woke at 8.00 a.m. and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant before catching the metro to Ottaviano S. Pietro station so that we could visit the Vatican. Since 1929 the Vatican has been an independent state and is located across the Tiber river from central Rome. It was a beautiful sunny morning…
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Rome’s Spanish Steps and an Afternoon in Bracciano: A Travel Guide
It was another bright, sunny morning as we made our way to Piazza di Spagna to climb the Spanish Steps. The square was already crowded with tourists around the fountain at the foot of the steps known as the ‘fountain of the old boat’. The fountain resembles a sinking ship and is thought to be…
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Rome Travel Guide: Gianicolo Hill and Trastevere Neighbourhoods
On our final morning in Rome we started the day with a visit to the Gianicolo Hill viewpoint, one of the highest hills in Rome. It’s located above the Vatican and Trastevere districts to the west of the Tiber. Our phone map suggested taking the train to S. Pietro station and following a path from…
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Quarry Bank Mill: Guide to England’s Historic Industrial Site
It was a sunny Saturday morning when we set off early to visit Quarry Bank Mill, one of the finest places to explore Britain’s industrial heritage. Quarry Bank is located on the Styal Estate in Wilmslow close to Manchester Airport and is now owned by the National Trust, further details can be found here. After finding…
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The Shipley Glen Cable Tramway: Visitor Guide & History
One weekend we decided to travel to Saltaire to take a ride on the oldest functioning funicular railway in the United Kingdom. Getting there by public transport was relatively easy, Saltaire having a railway station on the Airedale line with links to Leeds, Bradford and Skipton. Leaving the station by a short flight of stone…
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Our Moscow adventure
The thought of standing in a snow carpeted Red Square on a cold winter’s day seemed appealing, so we booked a few days in Moscow. It’s necessary to obtain a visa before arriving in Russia and this can dissuade potential visitors from travelling. To help demystify the process I’ll explain how we went about it.…
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Exploring Moscow
We opened the curtains to find that there had been heavy snow overnight, covering all the surrounding roof tops with a fluffy white blanket. After a leisurely breakfast we took the metro to Komsomolskaya station which was absolutely beautiful with its painted yellow ceilings and its platforms lit by chandeliers. The station was designed in…
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Sightseeing in Moscow
There had been more snow overnight but it was a reasonably bright morning. Our first stop after breakfast was Lubyanka, which is the next station on Line 1 from Red Square. Climbing the steps from the metro station we could see the former headquarters of the KGB across the square. Lubyanka was once a name…
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Exploring more of Moscow
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…
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Sokolniki Park, Moscow
We woke to more heavy overnight snow, creating a winter wonderland panorama from our 23rd floor bedroom window. As it was our final day, we over-indulged with a large breakfast and then bid our farewells to the lovely restaurant staff who had looked after us all week. After packing our belongings together we set off…
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The Cotton Mills of Tampere and Manchester
My travels in Finland took me to Tampere, located 100 miles north east of the capital Helsinki. It’s Finland’s third largest city and takes just 90 minutes to reach by inter-city train from the capital. I’d wanted to visit Tampere for sometime because it’s often referred to as the ‘Manchester of Finland’ due to its…
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Bristol City Break – Day 1
After enjoying city breaks in London, Edinburgh and Birmingham we decided to head to the south west of England for our next weekend away. My journey on board a CrossCountry train was pleasant, having an interesting conversation with an Edinburgh green keeper, learning about life on one of Scotland’s premier golf courses as we journeyed…
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Exploring Bath
We were up bright and early as we had planned to spend the day in neighbouring Bath, 10 miles (16km) from Bristol. Getting there was easy as trains depart frequently from Bristol Temple Meads taking just over 10 minutes to Bath Spa station, adult off-peak day return fares are £8.60. From the moment we left…
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SS Great Britain & Aerospace Bristol
After the previous day’s glorious sunshine, we woke to grey skies but as we’d planned to spend the day visiting two of Bristol’s top cultural highlights which were both indoors, it didn’t bother us too much. So, after our usual cooked breakfasts and large cappuccinos we felt suitably nourished and ready for a day of…
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