Berlin, staying in the former eastern sector close to Alexanderplatz. Early flight from Heathrow, then train to our hotel. Explored Museum Island visiting the Neues Museum, Alte National-galerie and Berlin Cathedral. Took a bus to the Reichstag Building and did the dome visit, stood at the Brandenberg Gate, viewed the Jewish Memorial, visited Checkpoint Charlie, the Berliner Mall and Gendarmen-markt. Went up the TV Tower, walked around Alexanderplatz, used buses to ...more...

A holiday by coach by the Winchester Association of National Trust members took us to Yorkshire for a week. Stopping at Renishaw Hall (near Sheffield) we met up with Rach, Bec and Leo. Monday we had a very damp visit to Fountains Abbey, followed by an indoor tour at Harewood House. Tuesday started with Wentworth Woodhouse, followed in the afternoon by Brodsworth Hall. Wednesday we switched to a garden visit, to RHS Harlow Carr, followed by free time (=shopping) in York, and a ...more...

Our outward journey finished at Santiago de Compostela, where we spent several wonderful days in the Parador. We followed in inland route eastward via Lugo, stopping in Leon (another Parador) and Pamplona (where the bulls race through the streets), before crossing (under) the Pyrenees to Lourdes. From there, we called in at Chateau de la Treyne in the Dordogne, and Les Hautes Roches in the Loire, before catching a ferry back to the UK from ...more...

Took the ferry to St Malo, and drove down to see friends in Dampierre sur Boutonne. After a few days in one of their son's gites, we continued to Biarritz, where we spent several more days enjoying sunshine and the scenery. We then crossed the border into Spain, and drove along the north coast, stopping in San Sebastián, Bilbao and Oviedo, completing our outward journey in Santiago de Compostela. ...more...

A city-break in Copenhagen, staying at the 25hours Hotel Indre and travelling by bus and train. Explored the city, places museums, Tivoli Gardens. Nyhavn and the waterside. Lots of good places to eat, and interesting sights to see. And a huge amount of walking... ...more...

A drive through France shortly after the first lockdown period ended. Very quiet (deserted) Shuttle, traveling on peaceful motorways using the rest areas to eat, spending a night in Le Château de Beaulieu and a second night in Hôtel-Restaurant La Rose, Juliénas. Spent the time in St Raphaël preparing the apartment for sale, meeting estate agents etc. Managed to see a couple of friends as well. Returned via Condrieu (Hotel Beau Rivage) and Bruyeres-et-Montberault (Le ...more...

Visited Hamburg to attend Rotary International Convention. Stayed in a hotel close to the convention centre, and opposite City Park. Plenty of time to explore the city, the Beatles connection, the waterfront, some weird architecture and the amazing Miniatur Wunderland model railway centre. We attended a welcome event at 'Die Bank', and the Rotary GBI dinner at Hofbräu Wirtshaus Speersort. The 'hosting event' was organised by Rotary Club Großhansdorf in Ahrensburg, a train ...more...

A long-promised trip to the Verona festival started with a near-disaster. Our Monday flight was showing a 50 minutes delay. Not normally a problem, but it was lunch time, so we had lunch and set off for the gate about an hour before the delayed departure time. Arrived at the gate to find the flight had in fact left on time. So rebooked BA for following a.m. and spent the night in an airport hotel. Arrived nearly a day late. Explored Verona by day, watched open air ...more...

Decided to visit Barcelona, staying in an hotel opposite the Cathedral of Barcelona. Explored the city on foot and using the wonderful port cable car across the harbour. Rambled the Las Ramblas pedestrian area and adjacent streets. Visited Montjuïc Castle, the Sagrada Familia basilica (under construction) and Parc Güell. Took a train to Montserrat and the funicular up to the monastery, descending on a cable car. Enjoyed local dining, and a Flamenco performance in ...more...

Silver wedding celebration trip. We flew from Nice to Venice, then used a water bus to get from the airport into town, and walked to our hotel (Hotel dell'Opera) where we stayed 6 nights. Spent the week exploring the town, the lagoon, the islands, the boat transport system and the food. Visited Burano, Torcello, Murano, and Lido island by water bus. Took (real) bus and car ferry ride to Chioggio, and spent hours going up and down the grand Canal on water buses. Took the ...more...

Visiting Lisbon for the Rotary International Convention, we added on a few days at the front to explore the city and also visit the town of Sintra, site of several castles and palaces, now open to the public. ...more...

This trip started with a visit to our partner Rotary Club in Ingelheim, Germany. After that we drove down to Switzerland, the eastern end of Lac Leman at Montreaux, then across the Alps to the Italian Coast. From there we drove west to St Raphael, before returning through the centre of France. ...more...

The excuse for this trip was the Rotary GBI presidential handover in Colchester, which then rolled on into my birthday, and we went up the Suffolk coast exploring largely unknown territory (for us). In Norfolk, we searched for the Broads, which were much more elusive than we expected, then went around the top of Norfolk, following the coast. Returned via Ely ...more...

A late autumn break to Paris, visiting the usual sites and a few new ones (to us), including the Art Nouveau museum in Maxim's, Opera Garnier and the cemetery in Montmartre. ...more...

One of our relatively rare drives through France - overnight ferry Portsmouth-St. Malo, then down through Tours and Le Puy en Velay to St. Raphaël. Return was via L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (lunch stop), the Gorges of the Ardeche, Vals-les-Bains and Dijon. Final stop before getting the ferry to the UK was in Montreuil-sur-Mer, of Les Mis fame. ...more...

Flew up to Aberdeen to visit Bob and Della, who retired up there a year or two earlier. Visited a motor museum, a Highland Gathering, the picturesque Crathes Castle and the ruins of Dunnottar Castle. ...more...

Another UK tour, this time to North Wales to visit Angela in Penmachno, then across to Yorkshire, to visit Andi in Holmfirth. Main incident was the car refused to start after being parked out in the Welsh rain, and was eventually transported home, whilst we finished the trip in a rental car. Places visited included Portmeirion, Aberglaslyn pass, Conwy, the Yorkshire sculpture park and the Kirklees railway ...more...

A trip on the bucket list, using the Hurtigruten 'Nordkapp' to travel up the Norwegian coast from Bergen to Kirkenes. However, with our own itinerary, we flew into Oslo, spending a couple of nights there, then got the train to Flåm, for one night, a fast ferry to Balestrand for another night, and yet another fast ferry to Bergen. After 2 nights in Bergen we boarded our Hurtigruten and spent 7 nights visiting practically every port up to Kirkenes, crossing into the ...more...

Valley Gardens in Windsor Great Park are spectacular in springtime when all the rhododendrons and azaleas are flowering. We chose a particularly good day to visit the gardens and Punchbowl area, taking lots of pictures. Not much in the way of captions, because mostly they would say 'shrub' or 'tree'. ...more...

Two Rotary visits this month, the first to Ingelheim as guests of our partner Club, RC Ingelheim, and the second to Le Mans and Solesmes, as guests of our twin Club, RC St Nazaire. On the way home we spent a night in Rouen. ...more...

Three trips covered here - Autumn 2007 driving via Le Mans and Orleans then a visit to 'Les Deux Abbesses' in the Auvergne, returning via Lyon (dinner at Leon de Lyon). with an overnight stop at the Royal Champagne, Epernay. In February 2008 we flew down for the Mimosa Festival, and then in March flew down again for Easter. ...more...

Drove down via St Malo, stopping at the rather surprising 'Puy du Fou', an open air theme park extravaganza of history from Roman times onward. Also stopped in the Auvergne to explore real puys, before arriving in St Raphaël in time for the water jousting. Visited the nearby tortoise sanctuary (middle of the breeding season) before returning via Sisteron, Aix, Epernay and the channel tunnel. Spent a couple of days exploring Kent, staying at the Adobe hotel in Canterbury. ...more...