SALOU
2017
LET'S GET AWAY 5
Off to Salou, up on the Costa Dorada. Nice weather, nice hotel, 4R Playa
Park (although the queing system for the restaurant was awful) with a nice view over the town from the balcony. Hired a car for the
week so we got about the area a bit - had a quick visit to Cap Salou, round
the corner. (far right)
Playa Capellans
Another Manrique sculpture on the
roundabout at San Bartolomé near the entrance to the Museo del
Campesino.It's called Monumento al Fecundidad (Fertility monument)
Cap de Salou
Hotel and view
Sitges Parroquia de Sant Bartomeu and Sitges prom
Tarragona
Omar Sharif's old house at Nazaret -
apparantly he lost in a game of bridge !
Off to Lanzarote, Playa Blanca again and stopping
at Coral Beach Hotel, right at the far end. It's based around separate
villas which proved to be ideal ( apart from the occasional visits from
'Colin the Cockroach' !
Puerto Calero, a very upmarket port between Playa Blanca and Puerto
del Carmen. The posh yacht in harbour, apparantly is owned by a
German who had something to do with insulin.
El Charco de los Clicos (Green Lagoon) near El
Golfo, which is formed from algae and is in an extinct volcano crater.
Telamon, the shipwreck between Arrecife and Costa
Teguise. It beached in 1981 and furthur reading is found at
here.
Bit misty but ventured right up north - in the distance is the
island of La Graciosa.
Salinas de Janubio - salt flats north of Playa Blanca.
Stopped off at Bourton on the Water which is a lovely little
village (of the year no less !)
Just a 2- day break to Oxfordshire. Stayed at the Talbot at
Eynsham which was lovely - own little 'cottage'
Bladen church, where Winston Churchill along with Clem is buried.
There are other family members buried there and the church window
tells a story aboiut our famous war leader.
Blackpool Tower by day and night - went on the tram to view
the illuminations
Took Ellissia and Marley to Blackpool for 2 days - they loved it
and we stopped at the New Hampshire Hotel - small and very nice.
CAISTER
MAY & AUGUST 2018
As we liked Oxfordshire, we decided to use some Tesco vouchers
and visit Blenheim Palace, the home of the Duke of Marlborough and
was the home of the Churchill-Spencer family.
Our stay, the Royal Oak at Burford.
Walked around the grounds which were designed by Capability
Brown.
The massive organ ? and chapel
Loads of seals up the coast at Horsey
Does Grandad really have to go on this ?
Hired a boat up at Wroxham - great fun for an hour.
Nice all inclusive hotel, Arena Beach - our apartment (fully
equipped even though all incl.) is on the ground floor next to the
pool - lovely chill out time !
Took the bus to Puerto del Rosario - this liner was in the
harbour - massive!!
Cambrils
Caesar Manrique's well-known Timanfaya Devil sign.
2x2 day breaks with kids at Caister, courtesy
of our good friends John & Cath.
Vicky can never resist C & A !
Views of Corralejo town from near the hotel - bit of a walk but
that's what we like.Far right shows Los Lobos The Wolves), a small
island with it's own lagoon - never been but passed it
AMSTERDAM
A week in the sun with all the family - me, Vicky, Rebecca, Tyler,
Robson, Ellissia and Marley.
We're very exited and on our way - a first
for Marley.
Marley wouldn't l !eave the pool
Up to no-good again !
Olé
All incl. TUI Hotel Orquidea at Bahia Feliz. Our appartment was
massive - the second one up in the picture.
Van Gogh museum
Schipol is a massive airport !
Stayed at the Mercure Hotel, out-of-town and
caught the tram into the city
One of 3 Amsterdam, signs in the city.
2 nights in Amsterdam - makes a change - amazing, albeit very
expensive, place to visit.
What a surprise !
Very imposing train station
We booked to visit Anne Franks House which was
very interesting - fascinatinating to think the whole family and
others (8 people) lived in such cramped conditions for 2 years.
A typical Amsterdam canal scene
Royal Palace, one of 3 in Holland.
Took a canal boat trip - very good value. On
the left is the NEMO Scvience museum and the 2nd from right is the
Chinese floating restaurant Sera Palace
The Buddhist Temple
....an unexpected and unfortunate trip to
the Orkneys
- something to take home ?
Sadly, Andrew, Vicky's brother passed away
February 2019
. He
and Teresa moved there 3 months ago and we travelled up there - 545
miles + 1 hour ferry for the funeral. I must say it was a pleasant
journey and the islands are very scenic - we will visit again in
better circumstances.
...then Pentland Hotel at Thurso - hotel
not bad but Thurso is a dump !
On the way we stopped at the Mercure,
Inverness....
Had to visit John O' Groats whilst nearby
For those historians, Scapa Flow was the base for the RN during both
wars due to it's strategic position - you can still see the gun
emplacements. The Orkney's have much history and we intend to
explore it more one day.
Stopped at the Smithfield Hotel, Dounby - nice
- our room was top left.
...and we stopped at the Olde Ende Hoose in
Kirkwall on our last night. Kirkwall is a typical north Scotland
fishing town with not much happening.
Snow around, the ferry goes from Gill's Bay to
St Margarets Hope and was bloody cold !
On our way home we stopped at the Station
Hotel, Perth because I was knackered ! I wouldn't recommend the
hotel really - very date but cheap.
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