Travel
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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…
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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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