Travel
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Senate Square, Helsinki
I’d heard that a military parade was taking place in Senate Square so we decided to go along and see what was happening. Arriving at the cathedral, people were already starting to gather on its steps. Over the years we’ve attended various different types of events here, and the stone steps provide an excellent viewing…
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Farewell Finland
I shouldn’t be sad that we had to leave southern Finland and return home today, not many people are so fortunate as me to be able to go away for an entire month. I did have a heavy heart though as we gathered our belongings together before taking one last forest walk in the warm…
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London travel guide: St James’s Park and the Mall
This morning I took a Virgin East Coast train to London arriving into Kings Cross at 1.00 pm, from where I hopped on the Piccadilly Line for the short journey to Piccadilly Circus as I’d arranged to meet my older son in the Virgin Lounge. I was first to arrive which gave me a few…
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Exploring the Woolwich Foot Tunnel and Walking the Thames Path in London
This morning we took the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Woolwich Arsenal where we enjoyed breakfast in the ‘Great Harry’ pub which was in the main square. Woolwich is a historic naval and military town situated three miles to the east of Greenwich. Leaving the pub we walked towards the river passing the historic site…
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A Visit to the Bank of England Museum and a Walk Through the Inner Temple, London
After our lunch break at the Royal Exchange we only had a few steps to walk to the next place on our itinerary – the Bank of England Museum. It’s a little known museum with free entry and is only open Monday to Friday from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. The Bank of England, affectionately referred…
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A Walk Along London’s South Bank and a Visit to Portobello Road Market
We started the day with a cooked breakfast near Tower Bridge followed by a walk along the south bank of the Thames Path as far as London Bridge, taking a few minutes to walk around the attractive Hay’s Galleria. Originally a warehouse and enclosed dock this listed building was converted in the 1980’s to offices,…
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A Visit to Greenwich and the Cutty Sark in London
Checking out of our hotel near London City Airport we headed to Greenwich where we enjoyed a hearty breakfast in the Gate Clock pub. Around the corner from here is the 19th century Cutty Sark, the world’s only surviving tea clipper. The sailing ship has been raised over three metres so that visitors can walk…
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A Scenic Walk on Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire
It was decided that we would spend a day in Ilkley, a prosperous small town set in the beautiful Wharfe Valley of West Yorkshire. The town is located between Skipton and Harrogate and there is a rail link to Leeds. From the railway station, we walked up Wells Road to the famous Ilkley Moor which…
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Ilkley Tennis Club: Aegon Ilkley Trophy
What could epitomise a British Summer more than grass court tennis, Pimms and strawberries! The Aegon Ilkley Trophy has returned to the attractive small town of Ilkley, set in the heart of the beautiful Wharfedale countryside yet easily accessible from Leeds by car or train. It’s being held for the second year at the Ilkley…
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Starting our journey to Bangkok
The start of a new adventure and a ‘new’ country for us visit! I woke up with nervous excitement but having everything packed and ready was able to enjoy a leisurely breakfast at home before setting off. We had booked an evening flight from Manchester which meant I could travel into the city and spend…
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Dubai to Bangkok with Emirates
Our transit time in Dubai airport was 2 hours 15 minutes and we needed to take the Sky Train to Concourse B for our connecting flight. I wasn’t really hungry but we sat down in a cafe for a tasty snack and a drink to keep us awake as well as passing a little time. …
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Exploring Bangkok by River Boat and Visiting Its Iconic Temples
We had a full night’s uninterrupted sleep not waking until 7.30 am local time which was good. The hotel breakfast had plenty to choose from and we enjoyed a relaxing start to the day sitting by the restaurant window observing Bangkok’s chaotic traffic pass along the road. Tuk-tuks, scooters, cars, vans, cyclists and old fashioned…
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Jim Thompson House Bangkok: A Guide to Thailand’s Silk Museum
We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant then walked to Surasak BTS station to take the Sky Train to the National Stadium from where it was only a short walk to Jim Thompson House – our first place to visit. Jim Thompson was an American entrepreneur and soldier who founded the world renowned…
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Travelling Emirates from Bangkok to Hong Kong
Our final morning in Bangkok but plenty of time to enjoy one last omelette cooked to perfection from the hotel’s egg station. After checking out of the Holiday Inn Silom we returned to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport via the BTS Sky Train, changing at Phaya Thai for the Airport Express. Thankfully, it was much quieter than…
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Riding the Hong Kong Peak Tram: A Must-Do Experience
Waking up to our first morning in Hong Kong we enjoyed breakfast in the hotel then walked the few steps to North Point MTR station where we purchased Octopus travel cards HK$150 each including a refundable deposit of HK$50, (only cash accepted for visitors). We topped up the cards an additional HK$100 each then took…
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Exploring Ngong Ping and the Po Lin Monastery in Hong Kong
After breakfast we took the MTR to Tung Chung so that we could take a ride on the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car to visit the Po Lin Monastery and the Big Buddha. The MTR was crowded with commuters but queues are orderly and trains run at one minute intervals. The cable car station is adjacent to…
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A guide to spending an evening at Happy Valley Race Course, Hong Kong
After a very short rest we left the hotel at 5.15 pm and took a tram to Happy Valley in order to spend the evening at the Hong Kong Jockey Club ‘Happy Wednesday’ race meeting. We spent a memorable evening here on our last visit to Hong Kong and were eager to return. Ground entrance costs…
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Taking the Ferry from Central to Cheung Chau Island, Hong Kong
After breakfast we hopped on the MTR to Central so that we could take a ride on the Hong Kong Observation Wheel which stands 60 metres high and has 42 cabins. The wheel has been open less than two years so we hadn’t been on it before. Tickets cost HK$100 each and there was no…
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How to Spend a Day in Macau from Hong Kong: Travel Guide
From North Point station we took the MTR to Sheung Wan as we wished to take the Turbojet ferry to Macau. Ferries depart at 15 minute intervals on hydrofoil boats, the journey taking only one hour. A single fare is HK$164 and there is no discount offered if you buy a return. We just purchased…
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Exploring Nan Lian Gardens in Hong Kong: A Serene Oasis
After a leisurely hotel breakfast we took the MTR to Diamond Hill, Kowloon so that we could visit the Nan Lian Gardens, a haven of tranquility set amidst a myriad of towering apartment blocks. The gardens which only opened to the public in 2006 are designed in the Tang style and cover 3.5 hectares. The idea…
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Visiting Stanley in Hong Kong and Emirates to Dubai
Our final day in Hong Kong – how quickly the time has passed by! A leisurely hotel breakfast followed by quickly packing our suitcases before checking out. It has been an enjoyable second stay for us at the Ibis North Point, a convenient location, good value and rooms with superb views, we’d certainly consider it…
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Emirates Dubai to Manchester
Our Emirates flight touched down in Dubai 50 minutes ahead of schedule so we had a walk through the terminal before settling down with drinks and snacks in one of the cafes. The terminal seemed much quieter than when we had passed through on our outward journey. Two years ago we had a nine hour…
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Lincoln Visitor Guide: Must-See Sights and Activities
Lincolnshire has been up to now a county we have just passed through along the motorway, but finally we decided to stop for a few hours and take a look. We left the car in the lower part of the town close to the Brayford Waterfront, a natural harbour on the River Witham now transformed…
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Discover Dublin’s Best Sights: History, Culture, and Landmarks
We took an early morning flight from Edinburgh Airport over to Dublin in the Irish Republic. This was my third visit to Dublin but my first in mid summer. Before leaving the airport we bought ourselves 72 hour travel passes for use on the public transport, these being valid on the bus service into the…
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