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Happy new year one and all, welcome to the twenties, at last a sensibly named decade again. Today to blow off the cobwebs and welcome in the new year, we headed for a wander around RSPB Fairburn Ings Nature Reserve. In addition to providing some fantastic views, it also gave me a chance to try out my shiney new lens!

The weather was bright and sunny, although a little cooler than the last couple of days, but still pretty perfect for a wander. We were pretty excited about the prospect of seeing a kingfisher and happily, were not disappointed with a couple of them flitting about. After a few attempts, we even managed to get a couple of half decent pictures.

There were plenty of birds about and we had a great day. I highly recommend a visit if you're ever in the area. Enjoy the photos.

Following the usual Christmas rush, we decided to have a little break, and so, now we find ourselves in a nice flat in York. We're actually right in the thick of it, only a few minutes walk from the town centre and pretty much opposite the Minster. We arrived on Sunday, just at sunset, and had a lovely sunset view of the minster from the lounge windows. Having settled in, we moseyed around York city on Monday, walkign around the city walls and pottering in the shops. We then went in the minster itself, a superb architectural construction - there was a short queue to get tickets and then we had a good wander round, taking lots of photographs and utlimately treating ourselves to a splendid replica of a gargoyle in the shop. It's hilarious!

Tuesday dawned a little cloudy. Ben went out quite early to catch a view of the minster in the frosty morning, and then cam back for breakfast. By the time we had got ourselves organised, the sun had come out and it was really quite a lovely day. We decided to head over the the castle area - we went up Clifford Tower for some views of the city and then went across the square to Fairfax House, which was really interesting, with glorious ceilings!

After a quite stop at Caffe Nero for a drink and a cake, we went over to the National Railway museum and were almost blown away by it - I'm not sure why, buut I'd anticipated glass cases full of memorabilia, but in fact, there were lots of actual trains! Amazing! There was lots that were only there to look at, but there were also many that you could go in. It was superb, and - for a free museum - absolutely superb!

And then, it was new year. Happy New Year, everyone!

Mery Christmas

Another, grand house, another Christmas. Today we went to Christmas at Castle Howard, after stopping nearby at the rather fabulous Durham Ox. When it came to it, we decided that Castle Howard was a little better than Chatsworth.

The decorations and rooms seemed a bit more emersive, there was a particularly crazy room with an upside down Christmas Tree. The weather remained much better today and we had a good walk about outside with some blue sky and sunshine before heading on to mums to finish off the long weekend. All in all nice way to get started with Christmas!

We found ourselves with a three day weekend just before Christmas and decided to make the most of it with a trip north. The plan was a drive up to Derbyshire on Thursday night before visiting Christmas at Chatsworth. We bought our tickets a few weeks ago and the drive up was fairly straightforward. We were booked into a Permier inn, which is only about 10 mins away from the house, making the journey in the morning pretty easy.

We arrived for opening just before 11 and were suprised to see how busy it already was with the main car park already close to full. There were a lot of people about, we think perhaps there were earlier tours before the pblished opening time of the house? Our tickets were timed for 11.30 so we started to head in, before being asked to check the camera bag. The cloakroom is fairly straightforward with lockers taking a £1 deposit, so we dropped off the bag and headed back towards the entrance.

There was a short queue to get in, but  the tented area in which we were waiting was decorated up with model planes and hot air balloons, so there was plenty to look at. The theme this year was "around the world in 80 days" and as travelled between each of the rooms in the house, they were decorated to represrnt a different country. The decorations were very impressive and emmersive, with particular highlights including the Moroccan room and the Chinese and Japenese rooms. There were some really pretty decorations which we had hoped to find in the shop, but although they stocked some, they didn't have some of our favourites. We managed to have a bit of a walk around the outside, down to the bottom of the lake to see the house and fountain and through the grotto. The weather initially was nice with some blue sky and sunshine, although as we started to get back towards the house, it did start to rain a little.

We stopped in the cafe for a bit to eat and a drink before heading off towards our next stop, just outside York for a visit to Castle Howard tomorrow. We're stopping in a place called The Durham Ox, which is really nice, we have a nice little room that forms part of the old barn, but is only marginally smaller than you might expect a holiday let to be. We took advantage of the large selection of te and coffee and had a little scoff of the free Yorkie bar. We had a very nice dinner in the restaurant before calling it a night. We woke up very early this morning (5am) to were ready for bed by 9pm.   

We bought megabus tickets online yesterday to go to Niagara falls today. We were booked on the 9.30 coach leaving from the bus terminal which is just a few minutes away from the hotel, so we had plenty of time to go to Starbucks in the morning for some breakfast before setting off. The coach took just under 2 hours to get to the station in Niagara and once there the bus and train stations are almost 3 miles away from the falls themselves. There are buses that ferry people back and firth and a number of taxis lined up outside the station to make the short trip - as it was a cooler day, we decided to make the walk. It took a little over half an hour and we stopped at a shop enroute to buy tickets for the Hornblower ferries that you can catch to ride up to the falls. Buying the tickets meant we skipped the queues and before we knew it, we were on a ferry heading into the mist, with our red ponchos doing some work to keep us dry. The ferry is brilliant and definitely worth getting tickets for, giving you a very different view of the falls to the one you get from the path.

Back on dry land we spent some time taking in the view, it really is pretty spectacular, and I can understand why the falls are best viewed from the Canadian side as they face Canada whereas they can only be seen from the top on the American side. We had dinner at Wendys and also had a trip in the big wheel again getting some pretty wonderful views from the top of the wheel. Late in the afernoon, we walked along the path to the edge of the main falls, you could see the ferrys bobbing in the mist below and you could also see a rainbow spanning the bottom of the falls, it was absolutely amazing. 

With some time to spare before the coach back to Toronto, we decided to walk back to the staion rather than catching the bus. Arring at the station early we asked about getting onto an earlier bus and ended up walking straight onto the one that had just arrived. Feeling very tired we ordered Dominos to the room and spent some time going through photos and updating the blog and journal before bed. 

We made a start today at Starbucks for a spot of breakfast, they had run out of the breakfast rolls we were after but ended up with an 'everything bagel' each and a cup of tea. Whilst there, we made use of the WiFi to download some local maps of the areas we're visiting as it turns out that our mobile data doesnt work here. We also picked up a paper map from the hotel and headed out for a bit of an explore. Our first destination was Ripleys Aquarium which is rated one of the top attractions in Toronto, so we went to see what all the fuss was about. We bought tickets on the way in although it turns out it can be a little cheaper if you book, you can also buy an adventure card that covers some of the other attractions in Toronto, but we gave it a miss.

The aquarium was really quite good with a particularly good moving travelator that took you around and then through the main tank in a series of glass roofed tunnels. Besides the huge range of fish, there were sharks, mantarays and turtles all swiming above and around us. It was really impressive. Heading back outside into what turned out to be a very bright sunny day we headed around to have a look at the CN tower which is next door. There was a long queue and we decided to give it a miss, at least for now anyway. Instead we had a wander around a number of old trains that you can wander around that are part of the exhibit by the train museum. We didn't go to the museum but did have a walk around the trains that were out, spotting a number of black squirrels that seemed to be residents in the area.

We had some lunch at a nearby Subway before visiting the Steam Whistle Brewery which is also located in the old train sheds close to the train museum. We went on the brewery tour which was fairly short but included a couple of beers to sample before having a sit in the beer garden. As the afternoon was getting on a bit we headed back to the hotel for a short rest before heading out once more for dinner. We ended up at a British pub for dinner, with each of us ordering the Sunday roast beef dinner off the specials board. Perfect!

The summer came around as quickly as ever this year and with just a couple of weeks to go before the end of term we actually managed to book a holiday. In fact not just any holiday, but a Canadian and American adventure no less. So after a few end of term drinks on Friday we were off on Saturday morning for the airport, first stop Toronto! The flight was fairly standard with a decent selection of films to help pass the time, and before we knew it, we had arrived. Getting through the airport was an absolute doddle and after our cases were amongst the first off the plane, we were quickly on our way. We caught the train into the central station which is only a 25 minute ride and $12 each from Pearson airport. After a short subway ride we were at the hotel about an hour after landing.

The hotel is located in downtown Toronto and pretty close to a range of places to eat and a short walk from Starbucks which should sort us out for breakfast. By the time we checked in it was about 4.30pm and so we spent a bit of time slobbing about before heading out for a bite to eat at a nearby Dennys. The food was nice but there was food left as the portions were massive. We were starting to feel pretty tired as jet lag was starting to catch up with us so we headed back to the hotel, going to bed about 7.30pm local time which is 12.30am back home in the UK. Tomorrow we'll have an explore and no doubt take a few photos!

We decided to visit Slovenia again, having not been since our Big Europe Adventure in 2007. We had really enjoyed our time in Ljubljana so we made our way there first, to spend a few days there, and then go onto Lake Bled, which we'd heard a lot about but hadn't got as far as visiting. 

It was a little dreary when we arrived, with drizzly rain. But it soon stopped and the sun came out. It was lovely to re-visit places that we distantly remembered - we spent our first day moseying around the old town centre, wandering around the streets and even locating the hostel that we stayed in when we first came. We looked up at the castle, saw the dragon bridge, walked back and forth over the three bridges, and just generally wandered. On another day, we visited the zoo, quite an impressive collection of animals and with only about a handful of other visitors, so very quiet! A real treat was seeing some baby marmosets, clinging onto their parents, and also a gorgeous red panda, who seemed quite camera shy and kept to the back branches of his enclosure. But not out of reach of the Ben's zoom lense!

On another day we went on an adventure a bit further afield. We hired a car and went to see Postojna caves and Prejama castle, about 45 minutes outside of Ljubljana. It was possible to see both on the same day but only if you hired a car - seemingly, out of season, public transport doesn't function and you can't get between the two sites and it's just too far to walk. So the car worked out a treat! We went to the castle first, as the cave tours were full for the earlier part of the day. The castle is veyr impressive, built into the cave wall and involving a cave system of its own. It has survived many a siege, and due to secret passageways between it and the local village, managed to sustain forces for months way back many centuries ago. There wasn't a lot of original fixtures and fittings to look at, although there were a few recreations to look at. But there was a detailed audio guide that explained all about the construction of the different sections and what it was used for. From there, we went to the caves. The tour was about an hour long and it started on a little train, that went along through several kilometres of caves. It was huge down there! And enormous stalagnites and stalagtites that were centuries old. All in all, we were told that we had traversed about 10 kilometres deep underground. Once back up on the surface, we spent quite a while trying to take photos of some swallows that were diving for insects above the weir outside; we did get a few quite good pictures, but the were so fast!

And from one castle, to another - we also revisited Ljuljana castle. It has had a lot of work done to it since 2007 - a lot of it has been re-roofed and rebuilt and it looks considerably more solid now. It has also become a bit more of an 'event' location, focusing a little too much on weddings and other events, rather than catering for tourists. Food options were quite limited and pricey, so our plans of having lunch up there fell by the wayside. Instead, we ended up getting an ice cream from a lovely ice cream palour we've discovered, called Vigo. We've been there a few times - Ben always has chocolate, but I like to try various things. It's delicious!

From Ljubljana, we headed to Lake Bled. We got the bus, as it's the most direct route and only takes about 90 minutes. It was a very scenic journey and avery busy bus, with people having to stand for part of the journey as it was so full. It was straightforward with only a minor hold up and we made it to Bled early afternoon. We checked into out hotel - quite an expensive place but when we got up to our suite (!) and saw the view from our balcony, it was completely worth it! It was glorious. We spent the rest of the afternoon just sitting and looking out over the lake - something which became something of a habit throughout our stay. When we did tear ourselves away from the view, we visited Bled castle, perched high above the lake on a rocky outcrop - a bit of a climb, but a lovely place to visit and great views. We also spent time walking around the lake, seeing a pair of kestrals nesting in the rock face and some very recent ducklings. And we couldn't be so close to the lake without rowing on it! We went twice, to mess about on the lake! Lovely sunshine and relaxing activities - an excellent holiday!

Today, we headed into London town. Having bought a voucher on Groupon for a deal at 'Fatburger' in Camden, we went directly there to have lunch. We hadn't been to Camden for a long while and it was quite busy when we arrived. But it was only a short walk to the restaurant and it was decidedly quieter there, so we settled in for our burgers. The burgers were fairly good, with a good meat-bread ratio and some nice pickle additions. But the chips made it - I had Cajun curly fries and they were really crisp and spicy! Yum! We were full up pretty quickly, so we went for a gander about Camden, wandering into the market to have a mosey about. I don't think we'd been into the actual market before - at least, not for many years - but there were some interesting items on sale and a lively atmosphere. We also stood on the bridge watching a couple navigate the locks on the canal which was quite exciting!

From there we went into Wetherspoons for a tea, as it was quite cold and we needed a pick-me-up. We sat nursing hot drinks for a while and then made our way across town. It was very busy out and about - so many tourists wandering about! We ended up going to the Natural History Museum, and we had a little look at the ice-skating out the front, and the pretty lights! We then thought we'd go in - there was a couple of hours until closing - and we hadn't seen the newest addition of the blue whale skeleton hanging in the main hall. Plus, there's the dinsoaurs... 

As usual, everything was pretty awesome - the building is a work of art in itself! We wandered a bit, looking at the blue whale from all different angles, and also at a huge segment from an ancient sequoia tree, dated as 380 million years old... Pretty impressive! From there, we headed into the dinosaur exhibit, taking in all the fossils and information. It was still pretty busy everywhere and we were getting tired, so we headed out - it was closing time anyway. We looked round a bit more, taking in the lights and atmosphere, before heading to the tube and making our way home.  

Happy new year everyone. We went bowling on new year's eve but upon our arrival it turned out we had gone to the wrong place. Hollywood bowl were very good though and transferred us across rather than making us go to the correct centre. We hadn't played for ages but had a fun couple of games - I even managed a couple of strikes! We did a bit of shopping before heading back to finish off the side table that we made on Sunday. We did actually finish it on Sunday, but decided it was a bit tall so it needed a bit more work. It's our first experiment with copper pipe and uses one of the old table leaves for a top. We're pretty pleased with it really. We had steak frites for dinner which has become something of a tradition before seeing in the new year with fireworks on the TV and outside.

After a bit of a lie-in today, we headed out to National Trust Polesden Lacey. It was very busy and we were told as we queued in the car on the way in that both the main and overflow car parks were full and it was one-in-one-out. In reality, it turned out there was loads of parking (although we were directed in to a bit where it said no entry). We started with some lunch at the cafe, which, despite being very busy, seemed to be working better than most National Trust cafes we've been to and shared a cream tea and a sandwich. We decided to have a wander around the garden which was typically bare for this time of year, though we were impressed by the clever touches that included a Polesdon monopoly game that you could play and over by the bees, mini stockings as "even the bees have been caught up in the Christmas buzz".

We also got timed tickets for the house, going in for the last entry at 3. It was decorated up for a 1930s Christmas with at least one Christmas tree in each room, and an impressive tree in the entrance hall. There was lots to see including some amateur dramatics with several actors dressed up in period costume performing fictional scenes from the time period with some talk of the abdication of King Edward. We finished off our visit with a wander around the shop, before heading home for a bit of New Year bake off on the TV.    

Merry Christmas everybody. I hope you've all had a wonderful day and are having a nice relaxing evening.

Today was 'red squirrel day'.

We didn't have a firm plan or destination for the day, so we thought we would set off in pursuit of red squirrels, a rarity in the area and only seen in small colonies in certain places. We set off to Dodd Wood near Keswick, a place mum and dad have been to many times, where red squirrels are being carefully nurtured and where ospreys can also be seen over Bassenthwaite Lake, at the base of the wood. We walked up towards the first osprey viewing platform where the squirrels can also be seen and it was quite an uphill walk! Once we got there we looked and we looked... but not a single squirrel to be seen!

Not to be dispirited, we continued up the hill - an unexpected mountain climb - towards the second osprey viewing platform. There weren't many signs so it was a bit like the blind leading the blind, but we got there eventually. It wasn't quite what we expected - we had anticipated a hide but it was an exposed picnic table with a small fence to prevent any unsuspecting visitors from plummeting down the mountain. We sat for a bit and looked out over Bassenthwaite. The views were glorious and you could see a long way - the weather was fair although overcast so visibility was good, with some cloud just nestling on the peaks. So, we were sitting and looking - but to no avail.

We gave it a bit of time, but decided to give in and set off back down the mountain, planning on calling at the lower viewing spot again, just in case. And it was a good job we did! Two little red ones crept out of the undergrowth to feed at the feeding station! It was awesome! A lady there had said that she's put some food out for them a bit earlier in the day and it was nearly all gone. And the squirrels were really brave, coming pretty close and feeding from the tree stumps nearby. We stood and watched for about 30 minutes, completely absorbed by their activity.

We made it down to the car park again, just before our pay and display ran out. We sat in the car, eating our picnic before heading off towards Grasmere, where we were aiming for Allan Bank, an unknown (to me) National Trust property, also known for red squirrels. We made it there for about 4pm - not giving us long, but we didn't really know what to expect. We were surprised to find a bit more than we expected - it isn't a conventional historic house, and (although we didn't go in) the house is set up very much as a family home to relax in. The gardens, which we did explore, seemed quite expansive, rising up into the landscape behind the house. We toiled up, for a while, admiring the lovely views as we went, and also trying to spy out the red squirrels. But no such luck. 

However, that quickly changed as we descended to the lawned area behind the grass. We saw at least 6 squirrels, dashing and scampering and chasing each other through the trees! It was truly awesome! We speculated that they might be siblings, as there was a lot of chattering and bickering going on. And they came quite close, feeding from the stashes of nuts that had been left about. We stood and watched them - even past closing time! It was at least 5.10pm by the time we felt we ought to move on and the property had closed at 5. Ben got lots of photos, although these squirrels were quite a lot livelier than the previous ones. 

From now on, this day is to be red squirrel day. A day not to be forgotten.

Today we decided to branch out and go to the other side of Lake Windermere! So far, our adventures have focused on the northern part of Windermere, but today we explored the southern end - well, at least a bit of it!

We set off for Hill Top, the historic home of Beatrix Potter, creator of the Peter Rabbit tales. It was a pleasant drive there, and we even made an impromptu stop to photograph a bouquet of pheasants (I've just found out that this is a collective noun for them!). The males were being quite temperamental and squabbling a lot, but the colours of their plumage looked beautiful against the bracken. When we arrived, we managed to park our little car in a cheeky corner spot and headed to the ticket office, securing entry to the house for 20mins time. We 'pottered' in Beatrix Potter's garden for a bit, watching some birds and admiring the autumn colours, and having a quick look in the shop. From there, we went in the house. It was quite dark inside, quite typical for the National Trust, but lots of interesting things to look at, including a lot of original art by Potter's brother. There weren't a huge number of rooms to look at however, so we weren't there very long.

From there, we went to Claife viewing station, a castle-style tower, constructed to offer lovely views over Windermere, with coloured panes of glass to look through. Apparently, it was linked to the Picturesque movement - as it offered perfectly composed views of the lake. However, it was risky to offer the public such views as they might be overcome by the perfect beauty and faint... Risky business, looking at views... Getting peckish after all the perfect views, we decided to have lunch in the cafe. We shared a ploughan's sausage roll picnic lunch (with some cheese, cherry tomatoes and chutneys) and a scone with jam and cream. 

Then, we decided to head to Grasmere - mainly on a quest for Grasmere gingerbread. It took about 30 mins to drive, with only a couple of near misses on the narrow and winding roads! Found a place to park easily enough and then wandered into the town centre, trying to recall where the gingerbread shop was. And we found it! And the queue that streamed from it! Hmm... We didn't have to wait long through, and got some gingerbread! We then carried on wandering, seeing some nice bits and bobs in the local shops but only buying a couple of books from the local bookshop. Had a little piece of gingerbread in the car before setting off back to the cottage, stopping at Booths in Windermere for some more food.  

We decided to go to National Trust Wray Castle today. The sun was shining and the sky was blue and it looked like it might be a rathre nice day. Having had a look how to get there yesterday, we decided to drive to Ambleside and catch the cruise boat across to the castle as some reviews suggested the car park was pretty small. It was only about about 20 minutes drive to Ambleside and we pparked down by the pier. As we were leaving the car, we could see that one of the cruise boats had arrived, so we quickly bought tickets and managed to dash through the gate before it departed. We sat inside as we were the last people aboard and we were quickly on our way. There were some nice views across Windermere on the cruise to the castle with other boats silhouetted against the bright sunshine making for nice photos. As we neared the castle a couple of jets flew quite low across the lake, sadly I wasn't quick enough to catch them on camera. 

Having docked, we had a quick look at the return cruise times which seemed to be every 40 minutes or so and then made the short walk up the hillside to the castle. Wray Castle is a Victorian neo-gothic building dating from 1840, but is unfurnished inside. There were a number of rooms set up for children including a Peter Rabbit burrow that seemed to make use of the warren of rooms upstairs and a Forest Folktales room which featured a dark room with some fairly amateurish decorations. The castle interior was pretty underwhelming overall and we left feeling that it could be very nice if some more money and time was spent on it. I certainly would have been disappointed as a non-member paying over ten pounds entry. 

We had a wander around the surrounding land, skimming stones across the lake from the shingle beach, and clambering over rocks to get a selfie in front of the lake. The weather remained fine, although the sun kept dipping in and out behind cloud. The wander through the woods took us up to the cruise boat pier and to our suprise there again was a boat just arriving. We joined the queue and once again were the last people to get on the boat, this time scoring a seat in the front outside. On the journey back I kept my eyes peeled for the elusive jets but sadly they didn't appear, the cruise stopped off at Brockhole before continuing back to Ambleside. Feeling a bit peckish on our arrival we droppped into a fish and chip shop just behind the pier and wouldn't you know it, whilst we were queing the jets screamed by again!

We decided to have a wander around the shops in Ambleside before heading back to the cottage. There were lots of nice things and we ended up coming away with some glass Christmas decorations and a new lamp from a shop that had just opened and then a glass tea light holder for another place. Took a few photos of the bridgehouse before heading back for the evening.  

We had prebooked tickets for Stonehenge today so headed in that direction just after 11. It took a little longer to get there than expected as the main road from which you get a view understandably crawls to almost a halt, presumably as people stare out the window and try and snap a quick picture. Either way we made it in the end just before out timed ticket slot ended. There turned out to be a massive queue however for members or prebooked tickets which made the prebooking part fairly redundant. From the visitor centre you can either catch a short shuttle bus to the site or you can take a stroll through the fields to get there. We decided to go for the walk there, figuring we would catch the bus back. Stonehenge itself is quite something to behold. It is quite a lot larger than I had imagined with some of the rocks standing over 7m tall (with a further 2m below ground apparently). We had a fairly gentle walk round the path, listening to the audio guide. We stoped about halfway round sitting on a bench to eat the packed lunch we had taken with us, the weather was cloudy, but it was still very warm. We caught the bus back to the visitor centre and stopped for an ice-cream (I had choclate, Dani had mint-choc-chip), before heading on to Salisbury.

We decided to look for parking in the city centre rather than opting for the park and ride, this seemed to work out quite well as we managed to park for free close to Sainsburys in the city centre (Dani had read that Salisbury council were offering more free parking to encourage people to support the local businesses). It was much sunnier here and we headed straight for the very grand looking cathedral. There was an installation of doves inside that is part of a city wide project to brin a message of hope and peace following the nerve agent attack earlier this year. Although the cathedral itself is quite plain inside it remains quite magificent, and the installation from the ceiling looked perfectly at home. Whilst there we had a look at the best surviving copy of the Magna Carter which resides in Salisbury Cathedral, there was a short queue to see it with a guide explaining its importance and then in the same room, there was some further information about how the ink was made from oak galls which were something to do with wasps.

Heading out, we stopped by National Trust Mompesson House, which is just a stones throw from the Cathedral. Mompesson is an 18th century town house and garden that was aquired in the 1970s. The house doesn't contain the original furniture so this is made up of loans from the wider National Trust collection. We managed to get in just before closing so only had time for a quick scoot about. It was pretty splendid inside, very much like the larger country mansions just on a smaller scale. The garden was just coming into flower and offered a nice view of the cathedral spire over the local rooftops.

Headed back to the cottage a little after 5, chilli for tea!

We're kind of at the half way stage with the exams at school, but thankfully half term has arrived and we can breathe a little. We booked a little cottage in Dorset for the week called the Old Shop, and arrived here yesterday. The cottage is really nice having quite recently been renovated and on our arrival we were treated to a welcome pack of scones, jam and Dorset tea - very nice indeed. Today we went to National Trust Stourhead which is about 10 minutes away from the cottage.

It's a pretty vast estate with large gardens to wander through and the rooms on the ground floor of the house. Although the weather this morning was a little cloudy, by late afternoon it was really hot and sunny as we wandered through the gardens. The garden was really colourful with lots of Azaleas and Rhododendrons in full flower and we saw Goslings and a Coot sitting on a nest with eggs underneath. A great start to our break away! 

The weather has certainly been on show this bank holiday weekend, with soaring temperatures, blue skies and sunshine all weekend. We've tried to make the most of it with a day out at National Trust Cliveden on Saturday, and then some time tidying the garden over the last couple of days. Cliveden was looking lovely in the sunshine and has had its shiny gold guilded gates along the south terrace fitted since our last visit. We had a nice wander about in the sunshine, both catching the sun a bit and looking a little red by the time the evening came around.

Yesterday we went to B&Q to get a few new bits for the garden. We bought some new pots and a couple of really nice Acers which we've added to the border. We generally gave the border a tidy and cut the grass which has shot up a bit over the last few weeks. The border is looking a lot neater, the grass on the other hand isn't in quite such a good state having become quite mossy and developed a few bare patches, we've got some stuff to treat it, so hopefully we'll see some improvement. We bought a few more bits today including a water butt which I've installed at the back of the house and a shiny metal watering can. Finally we've had a BBQ for tea, the third BBQ this bank holiday #winning!

I hope you all had a great bank holiday too! 

Today, we made a last minute change of plan and headed for Trerice. We were originally heading to Truro and nearby Trelissick gardens, but the weather wasn't particularly clement, so we decided to go somewhere different and leave Trelissick for a sunnier day. After a bit of Googling, we settled on Trerice, an Elizabethan manor house and gardens. It didn't take long to get there and it was a little damp, but not really raining. We wandered around the house first, looking at all the antique furnishings and particularly the clocks, as there were many! We went to the cafe for lunch, using our handy giftcard to pay for it. Dani had a tuna jacket potato, and mum and I had a cream tea each. We then went in search of the much-anticipated lawnmower museum, but much to our disappointment, we were unable to find it. However, Dani did stumble upon the second hand bookshop, and - grinning from ear to ear - she came out clutching a new tome. We had a bit of a wander around the garden and were pleased to see a little bit of blue sky appear making for a few nice photos of the Elizabethan Manor.

On the way back to the cottage we stopped by Wheal Coates Tin mine. The first mine is a short walk from the car park, and a little further along, there is another, clinging to the edge of the cliff. The tide was in and there was quite a lot of fog making for quite a dramatic scene. It was a little chilly as there was quite a breeze coming in from the sea so we only stayed about half an hour.

We dropped by Tesco again on the way back to pick up a few bits for tea before heading in for the evening. I added a few more photos to the Cornwall album and whilst at it I tweaked the website code a bit. I didn't like the way that the album preview displayed below a blog was always the same so I made a change so that it now shows the most recent photos.

Exceeding all expectations we had sunshine again today! We decided to make the most of it and headed over to National Trust St Michael's Mount. It's only a short drive away from the cottage, and is accessed from the town of Marazion. The tide times are a bit useless this time of year with low tide early in the morning and late in the afternoon / evening so the causeway wasn't an option for crossing, so we made our way by boat. As the weather was so nice, the water was very calm making for an easy crossing, plus it saved our legs a bit for the climb on the otherside. We were taken across by one of the island residents who pointed out his bathroom window in the cottages that sit at the bottom of the the rock on which the castle sits.

The climb up follows a winding path of uneven cobbles and stepped rock sections, and was no easy feat. It took a little while, but we all got there in the end. There are some terrific views from the top of the boats ferrying people below and the surrounding coast. We had a bit of a sit in the sunshine on the rocks just outside the castle entrance and Dani managed to spot a seal in the sea below! After a bit of a rest, we headed into the castle to wander around the historic rooms, it was all very insteresting, and although there was a steady stream of people, it wasn't exactly busy.   

Feeling quite hungry on the journey back down, we headed for the cafe where we had some tasty toasted sandwiches followed a little laster by ice-cream. We dropped by Tesco on the way back for a few essentials (clotted cream and scones) before heading back to the cottage for a bit of rest and relaxation. Splendid! 

After another busy term, we've eventually hit Easter. We're actually half way through the break at this point and have alredy spent the last week decorating the stairs and landing before coming away to Cornwall with mum. The weather this spring has been less than impressive so far with the "Beast from the East" weather just a few short weeks ago dumping snow everywhere. On the plus side it did reward us with a snow day, although in our case it was actually a "frozen pipe day", with the water pipes frozen leading to a lack of water across the school site. With all this in mind we weren't suprised to see the weather reports for this week predicting cloudy days and light rain. We arrived yesterday to Brook Cottage, our home for the week. It's in Carpis Bay which is just a short distance out of St Ives and is very nicely appointed with 3 bedrooms, a fully equiped kitchen and a games room including darts, table football and a table tennis table. Even better there was a welcome basket when we arrived with lots of essentials including tea bags, coffee, milk, some biscuits, a box of celebrations and a bottle of wine! 

Today, we had a wander around St. Ives. The weather was amazing with bright sunshine and blue skies. St. Ives looked as beautiful as usual in the sunshine with clear blue water and sandy beaches. We stopped for some lunch in Olives Tea Room where I had my first Cornish cream tea of the week. Dani had some coffee cake whilst mum had a quiche and salad. It was all very tasty and we left feeling very full up.

We finished off the day heading for Godrevy National Trust car park in Gwithian, but unfortunately arrived to find it full with the top car park seemingly closed. We found a place to park a little further along the road and headed up the path to look out to sea, there were no seals sadly but still quite a view. 

Here's hoping the weather continues a bit longer ...  

The massive pile of leaves in the back garden has spelled out the inevitable, autumn is here. We spent Sunday with the leaf blower having a bit of a clear up and out came the robin that we think nests nearby. He's often out and about when we're in the garden so I decided to get a quick photo of him this weekend. Enjoy!

After all the stresses and effort of moving house (and the temperamental British weather!) we decided to have a last minute break in Turin, to soak up some sun and get a bit of culture. We arrived on Wednesday afternoon, leaving behind torrential rain and instead arriving in 26 degree heat and sunshine. We're staying at the Principi de Piemonte hotel which is very smart and in a great central location. Following a recommendation from our hotel, we went to a place called Alla Lettera for tea, a good pizza place, where we enjoyed some authentic Italian pizza and beer. Walked back to the hotel as it was trying to rain a bit, but not as bad as the rain back home!

We've been taking it fairly easy, but on our first day, we did wander around much of the town, looking at the key sights and finding our bearings. We started at the Piazza Castello, where the Palazzo Reale di Torino is situated and ambled around from there, looking at the old town, the main market place, a number of impressive churches, the 'Mole' (the emblem of Turin) and ending near the river Po. We went back to the hotel for a rest before heading to another recommended restaurant, Pastificio Defilipis, where we enjoyed homemade pasta dishes - Dani had a black ink pasta with swordfish and aubegine, while I had pesto pasta with beans and potatoes, followed by peaches with Amaretto and chocolate and tarte tartin. Very tasty. Feeling full, we headed to the Piazza San Carlo for a walk and to take some nighttime photos. It began thundering en route and, shortly after, we found ourselves in the middle of a full thunderstorm. The rain quickly followed and we dived for cover. Fortunately most of the route back to the hotel is under large covered walkways so we managed to keep fairly dry but there were plenty of bangs and flashes of lightning to keep us entertained on the walk.  

We woke up on Friday to sunshine again and decided to return to the Palazzo Reale to actually visit - it contains about 5 different museums so we thought it needed a good stretch of time! We started in the gardens - a little disappointing, as they haven't been tended well and the only part available to walk around was a patch of grass that was being cut for the first time in what we assumed to be quite a while. The state apartments were splendid however and there was a large armoury, with exhibits of suits of armour for people, children and horses. We had a drink and a cake/biscuit in the palace cafe at the bottom before moseying out. Just outside the palace there is the Church of San Lorenzo, which we noticed was open and decided to pop in, without realising that it was the former home of the Turin shroud and had a small exhibit about it after it was transferred to Turin, with a fill-sized copy on the wall. There was information labellling the key parts of the shroud to make it easier to understand and some information about the various testing that it has undergone to prove authenticity. We also visited the two churches on Piazza San Carlo, which is really close by; the two churches, Chisea San Carlo Borromeo and Chisea di Santa Christina are at the end of the piazza with the pedestrianised part of Via Roma running between them. The churches are quite similar in appearance although Chidea di Santa Christina is more heavily decorated on the outside while Chisea San Carlo feels quite a bit bigger on the inside. It's only a small distance to the hotel so we went back for a short spell before dinner.

The hotel also seemed to be hosting the Torino football team, as there was their coach parked up outside and people starting to gather. As we headed out for dinner later in the evening, we found that large numbers of people were now surrounding the exit and we had to almost fight our way through the barricades to get out! From there we went for pizza - a place called Pizza ad Hoc, where we enjoyed lovely pizza and beer once again. To burn off some of the consumed calories - and to catch a rather glorious looking sunset - we headed out across the river to the nearby Santa Maria del Monte di Cappucini to see the view back across Turin. It's a fantastic view point across the city which came alive with lights as the sun set. The large tower that can be seen standing high amongst the other buildings is the Mole Antonelliana. It has a glass elevator that you can ride up to see the view across Turin, although we haven't done it yet. We stayed up there for quite a while, watching the lights flickering on through the city, with the sihouettes of the mountains in the distance. And, so to bed.

Just added a few photos from my break in Bruges with Mum and Dad, while Ben was gadding about in Berlin. We had a lovely few days, wandering around the cobbled streets, meandering along the canals, and exploring the sights and sounds of the city. 

Amongst other things, we went to admire Michelangel's 'Madonna and Child', had a boat ride on the canal and were jostled along the cobbles in a horse and carriage. We enjoyed some tradional Belgian cuisine and, of course, a hot chocolate!

Hope you enjoy the photographs - let me know what you think!

It's October half term and this year we decided to take our parents on holiday again. Mum and I went to Berlin, Germany and Dani and her parents went to Bruges, Belgium.

So having just broken up from school, mum and I set off on the Saturday morning arriving in Berlin just after 11am local time. We were staying at the Melia, in Mitte (central Berlin) which turned out to be a great location. The hotel was really nice and is walking distance to many of the sites. It's also just a couple of hundred metres from Freidrickstrabe station and the nearest underground.

The hotel let us check in early which was great and after dropping our things we walked along the river to the Reichstag building and just a little further on, the Brandenburg gate. Being autumn all the trees had started to turn and the yellow and orange leaves looked quite striking against the historic buildings. From the Brandenburg gate we also took a walk down to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. It consists of large blocks of concrete of differing heights set in rows across a large site in central Berlin. We had a short walk around before heading back to the hotel. Later in the evening I walked back out to look at both the Reichstag and Brandenbuurg gate lit up and to take a few night photos. 

The next day we headed to Schloss Charlottenburg (Charlottenburg Palace) dating from the 17th century. The palace was relatively easy to get to from the hotel, travelling on the S-Bahn from Freidrickstrabe station and then getting a bus from the zoo. Travelling around is a little different to London when you have to swipe in and out with oyster at every station. The system in Berlin seems to run on a honour system with inspectors that may intermittently check you have a valid ticket. We didn't encounter any inspectors but bought the zone A-B day tickets for 7 euros each to keep things simple. We went inside the state rooms which were pretty grand and then explored the outside. I was a little disappointed to see the main tower of the palace clad in scafolding, there seemed to be quite a bit of scaffolding about (perhaps ramping up for the summer?). Aside from the scaffolding, the palace looked amazing set against the autumnal gardens and the sunny blue sky, we had a bit of an explore of the gardens before heading over to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (nicknamed the lipstick and powder lipstick by Berliners due to its distinct appearance). The old church contains a cross made from nails from Coventry cathedral whilst the new church is spectacular inside as the walls are made from of small squares of blue stained glass. Later in the evening we walked down the river from the hotel in the opposite direction to the Reichstag building. We walked through a number of market stalls selling antiques just outside museum island (a number of large museums - again clad in scaffolding) reaching the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathederal) about 10 minutes later. The cathedral looked quite fantastic from the outside and there was a free viewing point just across the road where you could get a little higher and see a bit more of the Berlin skyline.    

Monday was our last full day so we started by heading over to the Eastside gallery, a large stretch of Berlin wall that still stands and is covered in colourful graffiti art. I think they're in the process of developing the area between the wall and the river as part of a series of developments to raise awareness about the history of the wall itself. We then headed over to Potzdamer platz a large commerical area in central Berlin that became available after the fall of the wall and is now home to ultra modern sky scrapers including the Sony building and Deutsche Bahn headquarters. On the way back we stopped off at the Brandenburg gate to look inside the nearby DZ bank. Designed by Frank Gehry, from the road, it is quite an unassuming building but inside there is ana amazing atrium and silver coated shell containing a main hall. definitely worth a visit!

On our last day we again headed over to Potzdamer platz to look at the nearby GDR watchtower that was used to monitor the border between East and West Berlin. It is quite well hidden, but would appear to be on the route of a number of tours (that turned up whilst we were there). You can apparently go in, but it wasn't open whilst we were visiting unfortunately. We also checked out a nearby spy museum which had some fantastic exhibits including an original German enigma machine. We finished off the day with a trip over to Alexandra platz which is much more of a shopping district. Had a wander through the shops before it was time to head off.

Overall a fantastic trip!  

We're now on the last day of our holiday and off off out shortly to spend the day in Hiroshima. We're only here three nights as we had difficulty finding a hotel. We've since found out it was the 71st anniversary of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima and as such there was a big memorial with paper lanterns sent down the river.

We managed to get an earlier train here on Sunday than the one we had booked so arrived at about 12. The hotel was easy to find as it's right next to the train station. We weren't able to check in until 3, do left our luggage at the hotel and headed for the atomic bomb dome and memorial park. It was another hot day so we relented and caught a tram across. They seem to operate a tram system here rather than subway, a bit like San Francisco, you just hop on and pay a flat rate of 160 yen so pretty straightforward. We managed to see the dome and went in the memorial museum which contains stories, images and artifacts from the bomb. It's very moving  and clearly explains the human cost of atomic weapons. 

On our first full day here we visited Miyajama an island just around the coastline. We got a JR train using our passes and then it was a short ferry ride across to the island which could also use our passes on. The island is inhabited by wild deer that wander around quite unphased by tourists and are happy to be stroked and fed. We visited the Itsukushima shrine which appears to float on the water when the tide is in and also saw the large Tori gate which stands out to sea a little. We had a good wander around and also tried to go up the ropewalk cable car but we're unfortunately suspended due to an approaching storm. 

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Yesterday we decided to take a trip out to Rabbit Island which was used as a factory for producing poisonous gas during the war. Now all that remains are a few ruins and a population of thousands of wild rabbits. The island is a little off the beaten path and required a couple of trains and a ferry to get there but was totally worth it. We hired bikes and cycled around the island stopping frequently to feed the rabbits with some rabbit food we had bought on the way. At certain parts of the island as soon as they heard the rustle of the food bag lots of rabbits came running. We had a fantastic day and it's definitely worth a visit.

Got to leave it there for now. It's time to check out!

We only had a short trip to Osaka staying just 3 nights although we'll be back for a night before flying home. It was pretty straightforward to get to from Kyoto taking only 30 minutes by train and so on our first day here we found ourselves with almost a full afternoon having got an early train and checked in by lunch time. We spent the first afternoon visiting the castle which was a short metro ride away. The castle has been burnt down a few times in the past but dates from 1583 originally. Inside there's a museum spanning over 8 floors with a viewing platform around the top offering fantastic views of the surrounding area. We finished off the day with another view this time from the Umeda sky tower which again was easy to access by the metro. We stayed for sunset and took a few night photos but the heat had turned it into quite a hazy evening so you couldn't quite see as far as you might on a clearer day. 

On our second day we decided to visit what is apparently Osaka's top attraction - the aquarium. It was a good aquarium with a decent range of sea creatures and a huge tank through the middle of the building that you gradually worked your way around. They had a special exhibit to coincide with the Finding Dory film and had some of the fish from the film in smaller tanks. They also had a fantastic range of deep sea creatures and some brilliant jelly fish. The aquarium is beside a large complex which amongst other things housed Legoland; there was a full size Lego giraffe outside but we decided to give it a miss. There was also one of Japan's largest Ferris wheels which we decided to visit the next day. We had lunch at the Luna café which is very close to the aquarium. It's run by a very friendly Australian and serves a range of Western food including cottage pie - we opted for a pizza which was very nice but very filling. Decided to have a rest back at the hotel before heading back out to take a few night shots. 

On the last day we visited the Shitennoji temple which has a five storied pagoda that you can climb up. It was very hot and the pagoda felt even warmer so we didn't stay up there long. It was a nice temple but there was quite a bit of landscaping going in and it looked a bit like they were ramping up for some sort of event. Afterwards we went back to the same place as the aquarium to ride the Tempozan Ferris wheel. You could queue for a totally transparent car on the wheel or get straight on. We decided to get straight on as didn't think it was worth the wait. We'd read some reviews that had suggested the same thing and it was going to be about an hour to wait otherwise. The cars were air conditioned which was amazing and offered fantastic views of the surrounding bay area. You could see Universal Studios across the port and inland flashes of lightning over Osaka which was pretty awesome. We had lunch in the nearby complex and browsed in some of the shops. They also had a small petting zoo type place in there with animals ranging from kangaroo's, a pig and several large tortoise, to rabbits, dogs and a llama; a little odd but pretty popular, we gave it a miss. We headed back out in the evening to see some of the lights in the nearby Dotonbori district which was only a short walk from the hotel. There were paper lanterns lining the river and the usual array of bright lights. There was lots to see with large 3d models on the outsides of restaurants. It was pretty busy with lots of people out for meals and drinks but a good atmosphere.

That's all for Osaka, next stop Hiroshima.

Well we've been here 6 days and I've only just got around to this. It took just over two hours to get here from Odawara station on the bullet train and was fairly straight forward to get to the hotel. We're right next to a metro stop but have only used it a few times as unlike Tokyo, there are only two metro lines so it doesn't cover as much of the city. It's been really hot generally keeping in the mid thirties during the day time which has made walking around a bit of an ordeal but despite that we've got about a lot and even found time to climb a mountain.

The mountain was Fushimi Shrine which is one of the top sights to visit here. It's famous for the thousands of Tori gates that line a trail up and back down a mountain side. We picked what turned out to be one of the warmest days for it but made it all the way to the top managing to see some wild monkeys on the walk back down which was fantastic. 

We've also seen a lot of temples and shrines around the city and some spectacular pagodas. It's not far stretch to say there's a shrine or temple in every district and more often than not more than one. We're on the move again tomorrow heading for Osaka which is only a short distance away, but I'll try and come back and add a little more detail about Kyoto if I get a chance. In the meantime check out the album, linked below!

Well we've had a busy few days in Hakone so far. We're staying at the Hakone hotel which is in a great location right on the edge of lake Ashi looking out towards the mountains. On a clear day the hotel has a prime view of Mt Fuji but so far it's been too cloudy. The tops of the mountains have been covered in fog meaning no Fuji, nevertheless there's been plenty to do and we've been having a great time. We bought the Hakone free pass whilst in Tokyo which gives is unlimited free use of boats busses and cable cars in addition to free entry to a number of museums and gardens. Because we're on the edge of the lake, we're only a very short walk from where you can catch the sightseeing ships which take you across the lake to Togendai port. The ships that you catch are modelled on famous 16th century ships like HMS Victory and the Vasa and you're treated to fantastic views of the surrounding mountains on your journey across. 

Whilst here we've completed a loop starting from the hotel in Hakone Machi travelling across the lake by ship and up into the mountains by cable car. Up in the mountains was particularly cloudy on the first day with the cable cars seeming to disappear into the clouds. At the top of the mountain in Ōwakudani visibility was quite poor. The area is an active volcanic valley with sulphur vents and is well known for its black eggs which apparently add 7 years to your life so of course we bought 5 (followed by another 5 the next day).

We bought a few souvenirs before continuing the loop back down the mountain by funicular railway stopping at a at Goes Gyoen (garden) which was fantastic. We particularly enjoyed the glass craft shop and workshop which was giving demonstrations and appears to run classes. The loop finishes with a bus ride back to the hotel, though we stopped at Moto Hakone which is a port around the bay from the hotel for a few supplies from the seven eleven shop. We walked back on the first day discovering a park which lies between our hotel in Hakone Machi and Moto Hakone. Seemed worth a visit so we went back there today.

The park we had discovered and visited today Onshi Hakone park was fantastic. There were some great viewing points for looking at Mt Fuji which was sadly still missing in action (summer is the worst time to see Mt Fuji and statistically the most unlikely time to see it) There was also a range of topiary trees mossy pathways and huge stalks of Lillie's. To explore. The park was very quiet and seemed so etching of a hidden gem. We leave here for Kyoto tomorrow catching the bullet train from Odawara station it should only take about 2 hours and we can use our Japan Rail passes. Have a look at the photos, let us know what you think.

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UPDATE

On the day we were leaving we had the best table for breakfast overlooking the lake. Quite typically the weather was was looking much clearer and as we sat there eating breakfast, the clouds quite literally parted and there was Mt Fuji. Amazing, what a superb end to our time here!

Well we've just about finished our time in Tokyo before we head off tomorrow to Hakone (Hak-on-ey). We've had a pretty busy few of days trying to fit in as much as possible. On Saturday we went to the Tsukiji fish market which starts around 5 am if you want to see the fresh fish auction bug continues as markets selling fresh produce into late in the afternoon. There was a lot to see and we had s great time walking around, trying a few bits and bobs. From there we headed to the Royal palace gardens on the metro. You can see the palace surrounded by a sort of most and high on a hill connected by bridges. It looked quite splendid. We saw some of the gardens which were a bit of a walk away from the palace itself and stayed until closing. Feeling quite tired we went to a local Japanese restaurant that was only a few minutes from the hotel. We had to queue outside as there was only seating for about 8 people in doors but we're in soon enough. We both had the special which was a large pork and noodle dish. Very tasty but there was a lot of it and some of it managed to make a few blobs on my tshirt.

On Sunday we went to Asakusa to see the shrine and multi story pagoda that we had seen pictures of. Unfortunately the pagoda was closed for renovation and was completely covered. There was still however a great deal to look at as on the way to the shrine you walk through a corridor of small market stalls selling a variety of toys, clothes and souvenirs.

We spent quite a while there before heading on to Ueno park on the metro. Ueno park was vast again with lots to see including a Jazz band and a baseball match not to mention a number of shrines and a fairly spectacular multi storey pagoda.

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We stopped off at Starbucks in the park for a drink and a bite to eat before heading back via the palace for a few more photos as the sun wad setting and the Shibuya for another look at scramble junction. We finally got back to Shinjuku at about 9 and feeling quite hungry went for tea at a pizza place near the station. It was very nice. Got back to the hotel about 10 feeling very tired after our long day

Today was the last day in Tokyo and we had a big to sort out. The first stop was the station to change our Japan rail voucher into the actual tickets. We then sorted out the Hakone free pass and train tickets for the trip tomorrow. Around midday after dropping off the tickets back at the hotel, we decided to head for the Tokyo port. We went to a park close to the port. The park was really quiet and tranquil. There was a nice sea water lake fed directly from the sea with a number of bridges crossing it. There were also some traditional Japanese tea houses though we didn't go in. At the back of the park we caught a water bus which took us on a 45 minute trip back to Asakusa providing some fantastic views of the Tokyo skyline. Finished off the day with a curry before heading back to do a bit of packing. On to Hakone!

Today we bought ourselves metro passes from the BIC camera store. We decided to go for the 72 hour unlimited passes to prevent us having to mess about paying for individual tickets. The passes were 1500 yen each which isn't bad considering short journeys start at 170 yen each way. So with our newly bought passes in hand we set off to explore a little further afield starting with Shibuya which is about a 6 minute metro ride from the station. 

As you come out of the station at Shibuya, you immediately face a huge cross roads known as the Shibuya scramble. We went for a drink in the Starbucks which offers a prime view over the junction and spent some time watching as hundreds of people crossed the road at once. It wad racing a bit so everyone had umbrellas up and it was really quite a sight. Decided to come back later to see about some night shots before heading on to our next destination the Meiji Jingu shrine. On route we stopped off at Tokyo hands which is another huge store spanning 7 floors and selling a variety of home, craft and stationary items. It took a little walk up to the shrine entrance but the rain had given up and it had turned out nice.

As you enter the site of the shrine you pass under a huge wooden gate that towers above you. It's a pleasant walk round to the shrine but when we got there we were a little disappointed to find the gate house which is quite a focal point was under repair so totally clad in scaffolding. Had a wander nonetheless and watched as some prayers were under way with occasional gongs ringing out. On the way back out we stopped for a walk around d the gardens we which had a small entrance fee. They were very tranquil and whilst there encountered some very friendly birds that were landing on people passing through. We had some dinner in Shibuya before heading back to the hotel for a rest. Headed back out again later back to the busy junction for a few night shots.

Hope you like the pictures.

We arrived early afternoon yesterday and managed to get to the hotel relatively easily on the express train from the airport. The hotel let us check in early which was fantastic as we both fell asleep almost as soon as we had dropped our stuff in the room. The jet lag had caught up with us and we slept through until late in the afternoon. The room is nice and the hotel is pretty close to shopping, restaurants and transport which is great.

That makes today our first proper day. We had the included buffet breakfast in the hotel which was great before heading out. We had decided to visit one of the most popular attractions in Tokyo; the Shinjuku Gyoen national park. It was only a short walk from the hotel and we spent a few hours looking around. It split into a French formal garden an English landscape garden and a traditional Japanese garden. One of the more popular sights are the Japanese cherry trees which blossom during spring but it was nevertheless a great place to spend the day and a bargain costing about £3 for the both of us.

After the park we headed for a view at the Tokyo Government Building which allow you to go up to their observation towers, free of charge. The view was spectacular and you could see the vast sprawling landscape. On a clear day you can apparently see mount Fuji although it was a just a little too hazy to see that far today. It's cooled down a bit now but stayed pretty toasty so far at around 30 degrees, although I think it's about that at home at the moment too!

I've uploaded a few photos to the Tokyo album linked below. Let us know what you think.

Just got back from our camping trip to Kent. We had great weather right up until it came time to leave when it decided to pour down. So a bit of a soggy end to a fantastic break in the Kent countryside. Whilst there we visited the White Cliffs and the newly opened Fan Bay deep shelter.

We also visted Dover Castle and Canterbury Cathedral. Enjoy the photos! 

After breakfast we headed straight down to the dock to catch a boat to Capri. Managed to get the 10.45 for 68 Euros return for the two of us. The boat ride offered some nice views back over Sorrento as we stood at the back of the boat. When we arrived at Capri about 20 minutes later, the boat reversed into the dock therefore also giving us a great view of Capri. 

We initially headed over to the information centre to thee right pof the port to get a map so we could get our bearings. Movedon, to the fenicular railway to get a ride to the top of the island for 1.80 Euros each for a single ticket. At the top we meandered around the little passageways bumping into an elderly italian, who was out getting his morning paper. He recommended the Augusto Gardens which was nearby. He walked with us part of the way and then gave us directions to get the rest of the way. The gardens were a euro each to enter and on the way in, we treated ourselves to an ice cream and a lemon slushy to share. 

The gardens were lovely and offered some fantastic panoramic views of the Capri coastline. The sea was incredibly clear and you could thevrocks on the ocean floor. There were lots of boats about queuing to enter the azure cave below and some others with people snorkeling around the bay. In addition to the views there were lots of colourful flowers and lizards scampering about. We spent quite a while enjoying the views and the shade and taking lots of photos. 

Eventually moving on we decided to grab some lunch stopping at Hotel Flora. It was very tranquil despite being just off a well trodden passage. There were only a few other people there that seemed to be residents if the hotel. We had a very nice lunch sitting on the terrace overlooking the sea. Do look out for it if you visit! After a long lunch we continued to wander in and out of the shops and meander around the streets until about 3.30 when beginning to feel tired we headed back down on the fenicular train and across the dock to get the boat back to Sorrento. The boat back was much quieter again at the top this time at the back right to get the best views on the way back. Arriving back in Sorrento we headed back to the room to cool down.

Headed out around 8 to get some dinner deciding on the foreigner's club which has a fantastic view over the bay. The food was very nice and the view was amazing with fireworks visible across the bay over dinner. A great end to our time in Sorrento. Tomorrow we head back to Rome before travelling home on Tuesday

We had planned to get 10.30 boat to Positano today from Sorrento, however the plans quickly fell apart when breakfast didn't arrive until nearly 9.45 meaning we wouldn't have time to get down to the dock. Figured we'd just go to Capri today instead, but then noticed in the guide that we picked up from the tourist information (down by the docks) that there is a regular local bus that runs every 20 minutes (a big improvement on the boat that only went twice a day). So, we went to the train station to catch the bus, and were pleasantly surprised to get 24hr tickets for just 8 Euros each, which was ideal as it also gave us the flexibility to go to Positano and\or Amalfi. Even better, a bus had just arrived, so we aprt onboard, taking a seat on the right hand side where (we'd read) you could get the best views. We set off! 

It took about an hour of winding mountain passes so an hour was about enough! But as promised, the seats had offered the best views - of panoramic seascapes and the small coastal townships. Arriving at the top of Positano, we took a few photos of the view, then heading down through the maze of passages and stairways that were heading for the beach. As we went, we passed by many little shops, particularly selling ceramics, and we bought some little pottery chillies for our kitchen. 

We spent some walking along the seafront, watching the many boats ferrying about more tourists. Took lots of photos of both view and the town itself. Positano is very pretty with lots of colourful buildings built almost on to of each other like giant steps, following the line of the cliff with the many small passageways and stairways weaving in between. We kept seeking shelter at various shady spots as the sun was bearing down again today (around 34 degrees celsius).

Starting to feel hungry we went to a restaurant just off the sea front for some lunch. After lunch, feeling tired and hot we headed back up the cliff, towards a bus stop, this time on the other side of town. Were glad we had gone to this bus stop as not only was it a shorter walk, it also offered some of the best views of the town. The journey back was muxch the same offering the same splendid papanoramas. Arriving back in sorrento, we quickly retreated back to our room for some rest. Headed back out around 9 for some food. Went into a very nice restaurant called Villa Rubinacci just outside town. The food was delicious and we would highly recommend it should you get a chance to visit. Capri tomorrow!

At 9am this morning our breakfast was  delivered. We hadn't known what to expect as although it's called Sorrento Charm B&B, we're actually in an apartment so its not the usual hotel setup. Breakfast consisted of two trays, piled high with pastries, breads, meat,cheese, yogurts, juices and a choice of tea or coffee. So we had breakfast in bed, trying to eat it all, but finally giving up and putting some in the fridge for later. 

We decided to spend the day in Sorrento today, planning day trips for Capriand Positano for the other days that we're here. So we started with a meander into town, making our way through some of the bustling side streets, taking care not to get mown down by the plethora of mopeds zipping about. Just like in Rome, every crossing is like taking your life into your hands, as you close your eyes, cross your fingers and step out (OK, maybe not eyes closed). At the other end of the shopping area, we headed down a narrow lane leading to, what we thought was, the coastline. And it was! We were looking down onto Marina Grande, and could see across the Bay of Naples to Mount Vesuvius. From there we wandered along, stopping at viewpoints on the way. We arrived at Marina Piccola and could see down to the man made bays in the marina. The water was crystal clear and there were lots of beach huts lining the different sections. Ben had a cheeky icecream while we cooled off under a tree. There is a lift down but we decided to walk down, saving the lift for the more arduous journey back up. From there, we headed to the Porto, to find out about tickets for our planned day trips. Got the necessary info and I had a sandwich.

Feeling hot and tired we got the lift back up to the top for a euro each then walking back through the shopping district buying a couple ofsouvenirs and stopping to look in couple of churches one of which was in the process if being setup for a wedding. Decided to head back to the room to cool down a bit and feeling peckish ate some of the leftovers from breakfast.

Headed out about 6.30 to get some dinner, deciding on a place we'd seen on trip advisor called Divina Sorrento in town. The food was very nice and we treated ourselves to dessert too. Took a short stroll to a view point and watched the sunset taking some photos as it got dark.

After breakfast we checked out and headed to the train station. We had looked at tickets on the fast ticket machine last night but decided to just get the tickets today. After clicking through the fast ticket machine a few times we found out that return tickets were basically the same as two singles. The options to Naples were a fast train that took an hour but cost 45 Euros each, a medium train that took two hours for 25 Euros but had a seat reservation or a really slow two and a half hour train for 12 Euros but no seat reservation. We decided on the middle train. Arriving in Naples we made our way downstairs to the Circumvesuvian train line buying tickets for just 3.60 Euros each. The train to Sorrento was initially very busy meaning we had to stand but quickly emptied after the first couple of stops.

We're staying in an apartment block just off the main road into town. After a bit of a rest from the journey we headed into town to get some dinner and after hasd a walk around and took some pictures of the view across the bay. It's very warm here too so we were quite relieved when we got back to our nicely chilled air conditioned room. Apparently we get breakfast in the morning, not sure how that works yet...

We had a slightly later start today, only just making it down for breakfast. We decided to catch the B line train over to the Vittorio Emanuele monument, stopping at Colesseo and walking the rest of the way. The monument is very grand is home to a couple of museums and the tomb of the unknown soldier. You can climb up part of the way for free, and able to admire the views of the surrounding landscape including colesseo which can't be seen from the other viewpoints we've visited (castle St Angelo, St Peter's basilica). You can also get the elevator to the very top for 7 Euros, so we did. 

The view from the top was fantastic! You could see a lot further at the top. It was very hot in the sun but there was some shade cast at either end of the viewing platform and a welcome breeze, so we sat and cooled down for a while. One of the sights we saw was one that looked a little like the colesseum - half a circle in diameter and made up of large archways. According to the map, it was the Teatro Marcello and was surrounded by a number of ancient columns, so we decided to make that our next stop. We made our way towards it, stopping to take some pictures and for some gelato en route.

The way to the Teatro building took us along some of the backstreets of Rome, winding in amongst the houses. When we got there, we wandered round. Some of the structure appears to have been replaced which highlights how worn the older stone is. It was very impressive surrounded by some complete and some broken columns and bits of ruin.

From there, we wandered towards and across the river, passing through isola (the island) on the way. There appeared to be various events set up - open air cinema, stages and restaurants - all along that stretch of river. Could be nice if you were about in the evening. We pottered about, stopping in a bar for a drink and a sit, before visiting the nearby church, Santa Maria, which has some beautiful mosaic work behind the alter. From there, we headed back to the hotel for a rest before dinner, catching the metro B line from circo massimo. Encountered our first !ertro derlays, however, and had to wait 45 minutes before there was a train we could squeeze into. Technical problems, apparently!

Had a rest at the hotel before heading out for tea. Returned to Meid in Nepols once more, as we enjoyed it before and it's so close. Again, enjoyed it, both of us having pasta this time and we returned to the hotel feeling very full and weary!

Having spent so long at the Vatican yesterday we didn't manage to visit St Peter's basilica, so we went today instead. Getting there was nice and straightforward taking much the same route as yesterday. We approached the basilica from via de porta angelica in what is basically a straight line from the station entering piazza San Pietro from the side. We immediately joined the long line that was snaking around two thirds of the perimeter of the piazza to enter the basilica. It didn't take long to get in as it was just a queue to get through security and as such was constantly moving, taking us about 30 minutes in total. 

The first thing we decided to do was visit the cupola. We opted for the lift tickets which you can get for 7 Euros as apposed to the 5 euro tickets where you have to climb an extra 200 steps. After the lift you do have to climb a further 300 steps and as you approach the top of the dome the space gets a bit narrow so not ideal if you're a bit claustrophobic. once at the top the 360 degree view is spectacular, with views as far as the eye can see taking in sights such as the piazza below, the pantheon, castle Sant'Angelo and Vatican city itself including the pope's private residence. We stayed up there for about an hour before heading back down to explore the basilica itself.

The basilica is as breathtaking as the view above containing works of art by Bernini and Michaelangelo to name a couple. We spent quite a while looking at the sculptures and painted domes, spotting some of the completed Bernini statues for which we saw the practice models in the Vatican yesterday. On exiting the basilica we saw a couple of Swiss guards (private guards to the Vatican) in their colourful uniforms. We took some photos around the piazza and then feeling a bit weary headed back to the hotel.

We bought takeaway pizza today from another well reviewed local pizzeria (pizzeria del secolo). The pizza was sold by weight so we chose a few different flavours including potato pizza, fresh tomato basil and mozzarella pizza and game and mushroom pizza, which we ate back at the hotel. At around 8 we headed back out to take a few night time photos, first of the basilica where there were bats flying around and secondly at the colesseo. We had an ice cream from the same gelateria we had visited when at the colesseo on Saturday. Arrived back at Termini around 11 stopped in at the supermarket there for a couple of beers only to find they weren't allowed to sell them after 10pm, never mind. Got back to the hotel just after 11. Last day in Rome tomorrow before we travel to Sorrento!

We had timed tickets for the Vatican today. We had booked online this time as the last time we were here we queued for about 3 hours before we made it in. We got the Metro from Termini getting off at Ottaviano and then followed the crowds through the maze of people selling tickets and souvenirs to passing tourists. Signs were a little hard to come by but we found the way fairly readily. Arrived to find no queue at all much to our disappointment as everybody seemed to be part of a tour group or pre-booked like us. I was feeling quite warm having worn trousers today having seen the dress code on the Vatican website. As it happened they didn't appear to be enforcing it, but better to be safe than sorry.

  . . 

We didn't opt for audio guides this time deciding to wing it instead. We began by following signs for the short itinerary which lasted about 3 hours taking us through a range of Egyptian and Italian exhibits featuring sculptures, tapestries and rooms decorated with incredibly detailed painted ceilings and mosaic floors. It also included amongst other things, a suite of rooms decorated by Raphaelle and his contemporaries. It was all quite breathtaking, culminating in the Sistine chapel. 

After the initial tour we stopped for a break in the pizzeria before heading out to explore the terrace gardens. One of the gardens featured a rotating sphere within a sphere created by the Italian artist Arnoldo Pomodorowho who has similar pieces in many cities worldwide. From here we went to the picture gallery which thankfully had some air-conditioning and amongst other things featured some nice Bellini statues and a picture by Leonardo da Vinci. We stopped off at the bookshop to buy a guide book before calling it a day and heading back to the hotel. Later in the evening we went to the local restaurant Meid in Napols where we had the nicest meal yet. We highly recommend a visit, its not far from Termini, about a 2 minute walk. Arrived back at the hotel feeling stuffed!

So today we decided to have a go at another of the walking tours that we found online. We got up a bit later as breakfast was being served until 10.30. Eventually set off around 11. The starting point for the tour was piazza del quirinale so we decided to walk there from the hotel. On the way we passed the via del quattro fontane which basically was a cross roads with the statues and fountains carved into the corner of each building. Arriving at piazza del quirinale we found out it was the home of the Italian president, and that on Sunday mornings they opened for tours - the only day of the week! Our luck was soon quashed however when we found out you needed to pre-book and there weren't any tickets left. The tours were scheduled to last 2.5 hours however so I'm not sure we were really up for it. 

From there we made our way down to the Trevi fountain which unfortunately was drained and clad in scaffolding for restoration work. We moved on relatively quickly to the next stop on our tour, the Spanish steps. We actually approached from the top which gave a nice view down over the steps and the piazza below. It was hot and sunny again today so we joined the small group of people sitting on the steps - in the shade, watching people in the piazza below. It was very busy with lots of people refilling water bottles in the fountain which we later learned had only recently reopened after restoration work. 

We temporarily abandoned the tour to go and visit the piazza del popolo which was a little further along the via del babuino (home to many designer shops, Chanel, Armani etc). Along the way we bought a slab of potato pizza sold by weight by way of lunch. The piazza del popolo was very quiet but is home to a nice fountain and Egyptian obelisk. We took a few photos before picking up our tour. 

We wandered along some back streets until we reached the mauseleo Augusto, the precursor to castle Sant'Angelo that we had already visited. It was a ruin and surrounded by a tall railing, so not much to see. We also went into the nearby museum ara pacis home to the large arc of peace which was very grand. Feeling tired we headed towards the last stop on the tour which was a piazza designed by Bernini. When we arrived we realised we had already passed through on Monday walking home. We caught the metro back to Termini and went back to the hotel to cool down.

In the evening we went to a nearby pizzeria and followed it up with a gelateria for dessert. Tomorrow we have timed tickets for the Vatican!

Today we went to the Colosseum. We had already bought tickets online to avoid the predictable queues. We were a little disappointed when booking to find that there were no tickets left for the underground tour, but hey ho still got tickets for the Colosseum, forum and Palatine hill. After breakfast we decided to walk rather than get the underground. The Colosseum is only two stops from Termini so it was only a 30 minute walk.

On the walk over we stopped to look in Santa Maria Maggiore which was a very grand church. The outside featured a range of statues, clock tower and two domes. Inside there was a spectacular pannelled ceiling and frescoes within the domes. We sat and cooled down taking a break from the heat (31 degrees) outside surrounded by a number of visiting nuns and monks.

We walked on, stopping in San Pietro in Vincoli, a slightly more understated church with frescoed ceiling and dome. Finally a short walk on from here we arrived at the Colosseum. Prebooking the tickets online turned out to be a great idea as the queues were huge. There were a lot of people around trying to sell tours but we headed for the prebooked tickets line and were in pretty quickly. Having visited before, the Colosseum was no less awe inspiring. We spent time admiring the views both into the centre of the amphitheatre and outside to the surrounding landscape. On the second floor we admired the ancient treasures, many of which are over 2000 years old.

Leaving the Colosseum we walked palatine hill to some of the ruins of ancient Rome. The site is vast and steeped in history. We walked around admiring the panoramic views back towards the Colosseum and across Rome. We took lots of photos and then feeling flakey headed off for icecream to a gellateria on the nearby via San Giovanni in Laterano (we think we ate at a restaurant here last time we came in 2007). We decided to head back to the hotel and feeling a little weary opted for the underground buying 100 minute tickets for 1.50 Euros.

Had tea out at a restaurant near the hotel- Mamma Angela's Trattoria it was very nice and I highly recommend it if you're in the vicinity. Called it a night and headed back to the hotel.

After an early flight we landed in Rome about midday and made it to our hotel the Venetia Palace quite easily. We're located a few hundred metres away from Termini station so it was pretty straightforward from the airport on the quick express train. The hotel is comfortable and the room was refreshingly cold when we arrived out of the 35 degree heat which was great. It's nice and modern and despite the proximity to Termini, it is very quiet and peaceful. Overcome with tiredness after our early morning and the heat, we had a nap, waking in the evening about 7pm. Feeling a bit peckish and thirsty we went to grab some food. On the way Dani found a British passport. Later when we got back we looked up the name and sent a message on Facebook but had no reply. We watched a film on the tablet and went to bed. 

We got up in time for breakfast which had a good range of fruit pastries and some hot sausage and eggs and bacon. After breakfast we walked over to the British embassy to hand in the passpost. It was a fairly grim looking building with armed guards but was fairly straightforward to get in and out. From here we caught the underground from republica to ottaviano using 100 minute tickets for a 1.50 Euros each. We walked from ottaviano to piazza pia where our walking tour (that we found online) was set to begin.

The first stop on the tour was Castel Sant'Angelo an ancient mausoleum and fortress. We were there for quite a long time as you can climb to the top for fantastic views across Rome. The castel itself is located just off via della conciliazione which is the most disliked avenue in Rome as several mediaeval neighbourhoods were destroyed in order to create it. Despite this it does lead to a nice view of basilica San Pietro. From here we walked across one of the oldest bridges in Rome the ponte Sant'Angelo. The walking tour took us from here through many of the lesser known sights, taking in several ancient churches and palaces on route and past former homes of artists such as Raphael. We also stopped for ice cream on the way which turned out to be quite a messy afair with it melting faster than it could be eaten. We headed through a number of piazza's each with a glorious fountain before reaching the Pantheon. 

The pantheon is magnificent inside and was pretty busy with tourists. We sat for a while in an effort to cool down (the temperature has been around 35 degrees again all day). Took a few pictures inside and a few more outside by the fountain and Egyptian obelisk. Stopped for some tea just a few streets away having some pizza/pasta and beer. Feeling tired and hot we headed back to the hotel about 7pm. Took much longer than Antipated to walk and arrived back around 8pm. 

That's all for today!

So it's a little late, but over Easter I went on a jaunt to Florence with my mum and dad, to celebrate their 65th birthdays. And we packed a lot in! Besides the usual visits to the Uffizi and the Duomo, we explored as many of the little steets and vast plazas as we could, finally venturing across the river to the beautiful Giardino di Boboli, a place Ben and I didn't get to on our previous visit.

We stayed in the NH Anglo-American hotel, set a little outside the main tourist area of Florence. Although it is a 15 minute walk into the central areas of Florence, it's an easy walk and you can either ramble through the streets, or take the path by the river. 

Dad and I also braved the heights of the Duomo cupola, climbing 400-odd steps to reach the top - but it was worth it! The views across Florence are quite breathtaking!

I'll add more details later, but for now, have a look at the rest of the photos linked below. Enjoy the rest of the bank holiday.

I eventually got the image upload working again (to a fashion) and to celebrate I've started to create some new albums - beginning with New York from Easter this year. I went with my mum as an early 60th birthday present and we had a great time. The weather stayed fine whilst we were there and we managed to get around a lot of the sights on our short break.

There's still some work to do on the image upload front as I want to enable client side resizing of images. Basically the images I take are pretty big file sizes and would take ages to upload not to mention the load on the server for loading and resizing dynamically. I know that you can resize using HTML5 and the canvas element but need to figure out how to fit into my current JQuery setup.

For now - enjoy the photos - more to follow.