Travel
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A walk in central Venice
After two rainy days, we woke to bright sunshine and were able to enjoy breakfast sitting out on our roof terrace. The plan was to explore the very attractive neighbourhood between the vaporetto stations of Zattere and Academia where we were staying. The long, wide waterfront promenade of Zattere, away from the hordes of tourists…
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A weekend in Belfast – Day 1
A part of the British Isles that we’d neglected to visit up to now, so a free January weekend tempted us to book flights and visit Northern Ireland. We took a 7.00 am flight from Leeds Bradford Airport over to Belfast with Flybe on one of their small Bombardier Dash aircraft and in little more…
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Visiting the Giant’s Causeway and the Antrim Coast
Breakfast at the Jury’s Inn was plentiful and soon afterwards we were collected from the hotel lobby by Allen’s Tours with whom we had booked a full day excursion along the north coast. As it was January there were only 18 booked on the tour so our driver/guide Ian suggested we all sit on the right…
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Queen’s University, Belfast and the Titanic Quarter
After a hearty breakfast we walked along to the Queen’s Quarter taking us 20 minutes. We strolled through the grounds of the Queen’s University which was founded in 1846, it’s historic buildings were beautiful with carefully tended lawns and quads. Just across the road stands the Botanical Gardens, being January there was little to see outdoors…
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Belfast’s Peace Walls
After breakfast we checked out of the Jury’s Inn, leaving our luggage for collection later in the day. The city centre hotel had been a good choice with friendly, courteous staff, a modern, comfortable room and a large selection at breakfast. It was then off to the eastern suburbs noted for ‘The Troubles’. We walked…
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Sightseeing in Barcelona
After breakfast we returned to Placa d’Espanya where we had seen the Font Magica light and sound show. It all looked very different during the day but nonetheless beautiful. Our next stop was along to the seafront and a walk from Port Vell, home of the large marina to Plaza Portal de La Pau…
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Montjuic Castle and La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
Our first stop of the morning was to the Montjuic Castle ‘Castell de Montjuic’, set atop Barcelona’s highest point at 173 metres. To get there we took the Green Line metro to Parallel and then transferred to the Montjuic funicular tram. It’s then either a steep, 15 minute climb through the gardens to the castle…
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A weekend in Lisbon – Day 1
We had been staying overnight at Canada Water in London’s docklands and needed to be up at 3.00 am to catch a night bus to Liverpool Streer for the Terravision express coach out to Stansted Airport. Our Ryanair flight to Lisbon was one of the first flights to depart, and after boarding, we were soon…
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Visiting Sintra from Lisbon
Breakfast at the Hotel Jorge V was relaxed, with the usual assortment of hot and cold dishes on offer. Our plan for the day was to visit the UNESCO World Heritage town of Sintra a short 30 minute rail journey from Lisbon. Sintra’s old town was a 20 minute walk from the station, the walk providing…
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Visiting Cascais and Estoril from Lisbon
The train to Cascais departs from Lisbon’s other station, ‘Cais da Sotre’. The line runs along the coast so be sure to sit on the left hand side to take in the sea views on the 35 minute journey. We loved Cascais, it’s a compact town with a pretty working harbour. We watched fishermen landing…
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Belem and Estrella, Lisbon
After breakfast we checked out of our room and left our luggage to collect later in the day. Then it was off to explore the district of Belem, catching a tram from the Praco de Commercial. Belem is dominated by its long suspension bridge ‘April 25th’spanning the river Tejo and by its ornate tower, ‘Torres…
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A spring break in Andalucia
Our Ryanair flight to Malaga departed on time at 08.45. It was the first time we had flown Ryanair since free seat allocations had been introduced. It was a big improvement avoiding standing and queueing ages to be able to sit together. We were also fortunate to have an empty seat next to us on…
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A day in Marbella
For breakfast we headed to a nearby bar which had cured hams hanging from the ceiling. We feasted on freshly baked croissants and frothy coffee before taking the 10.00 am bus along the coast to Marbella. Travelling by bus was the only option as there are no train lines on this section of coastline. The bus…
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By train to the Ronda Gorge
Our morning began with an early morning stroll around Malaga’s indoor fruit, vegetable, meat and fish market before taking the 10.00 am Renfe Media Distance (MD) train to Ronda. Our train was very comfortable with air conditioning and it was a relaxing journey over to Ronda. The main reason for our visit was to see the…
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Seville and the Semana Santa Festival
After breakfast we checked out of our accommodation in Malaga and on the way to the railway station, stopped to take a look in the Malaga indoor market. Here one can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish and it was busy with locals buying their fresh produce. Our train to Seville departed at 10.10…
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Sightseeing in Seville
We spent the entire day exploring the beautiful city of Seville. We walked everywhere, and along the riverbank to the Torre del Oro (The Golden Tower). Seville owed much of its success in maritime trade to its river which offered ships more protection than a traditional European port. Built in the 1200’s the tower’s name…
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A Day in Cadiz
This morning we boarded a train bound for Cadiz. Trains depart from Seville’s other station, St. Bernardo and the journey takes two hours. Cadiz is the most westerly part of Spain, situated on the Atlantic Ocean. In need of a coffee fix, we found some inviting cafes in the main square overlooking the 18th century baroque…
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Sightseeing in Cordoba
It was off to Seville’s main rail station, Santa Justa for the 1 hour 20 minute journey to Córdoba. It was a cool, overcast day, the temperature feeling much lower than in Seville. Cordoba was founded by the Romans and it became a major port city used for shipping olive oil, wine and wheat to…
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Seville and its Semana Santa festival
We allowed ourselves a little lie in and it was just after 9.00 am when we were eating breakfast. The day’s plan was to explore Santa Cruz, the former Jewish quarter of the medieval city. This district contains many of the older churches as well as the massive gothic cathedral. It was crowded along the…
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From Seville to Malaga
We checked out of our lovely Seville apartment mid morning, and walked along to the Santa Justa station for our train back to Malaga. It was good to be able to spend a few more hours in Malaga, as it’s such an underrated city with most tourists heading off directly from the airport to Marbella…
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Qatar Airways flight to Kuala Lumpur via Doha
Awakening with nervous excitement as our latest travel adventure was about to take place, luggage in the car and driven to Manchester Airport in good time for checking in at the Qatar Airways desk for our flight to Kuala Lumpur via Doha. Boarding cards at the ready, there was plenty of time for a cappuccino…
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The Berjaya Times Square Hotel and Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur
Immigration and Baggage Reclaim were both quick and we were soon following signs to the KLIA Express. Single tickets cost RM35 each and the journey time to KL Sentral is 33 minutes. We obtained some Ringitts from an ATM in the station before buying two ‘KL Rapid Touch ‘N Go cards’ (similar to the UK…
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