The Shambles in York dates back to the 14th century
We then went up to Chirk near Wrexham. The Chirk viaduct is 70 feet high, built between 1796 and 1801 by Thomas Telford and William Jessop and  like the Pontcysyllte, carries the Ellesmere Canal, part of the Shropshire Union Canal - impressive. Chirk Tunnel is 420m (459 yards) in length. One end of the viaduct is in England, the other in Wales.

 

 

 

 

 

HOME

 

 

             MAY 2013

A short visit to Ironbridge

 

 

 

 

 

    I know it's a bit extravagant, but what the heck - 1 week in Majorca on the (relatively speaking) cheap.

Went with Monarch airlines to Cales de Mallorca - lovely weather and very nice place - will definitely re-visit, weather permitting.

The Hotel Canarios is OK - loads of kids though, and overlooks Cala Antena and round the corner is Cala Domingos (v popular beach) A train runs round the resort, and next time I think we may well try Cala D'or and hire a car for the week, to save the rather long-winded transfers.

The Hotel Canarios is OK -loads of kids though, and overlooks Cala Antena and round the corner is Cala Domingos (v popular beach) A train runs round the resort, and next time I think we may well try Cala D'or and hire a car for the week, to save the rather long-winded transfers.

Forgot to take a photo of the White Hart, so used an on-line one - sure they won't mind ! On the middle picture, the iron structure is in the shape of a man's silhouette - they say it's Abraham Darby according to Portillo's train programme.

Furthur on is the Pontcysyllte aquaduct  126 feet above the River Dee - didn't walk across this one - it's quite scary

 

 

Founded by an American, Frederick Belmont in 1919, there are 6 of these well-known establishments in Harrogate, York, Northallerton and Ilkley Aunt Betty's Tearooms.

 

Knaresborough castle - not much left.
The Knaresborough Railway Viaduct, built 1851, 78ft high which spans the river Nidd.
Stayed at the Kimberley hotel, Harrogate - nice, clean hotel.
Had a walk by the river to the petrifying well and Mother Shipton's cave, a 16th century soothsayer (allegedly) more details are found at www.mothershipton.co.uk
York Minster - very impressive but didn't go in - charge to go into God's house !
The only Bullet train outside Japan, which runs on the Shinkansen network developed in 1964, and Stephenson's Rocket (replica) built for the Rainhill trials in 1829, and achieved up to speeds of 24mph 

 

 

Back to Fuerteventura and Magic Life - hired a Suzuki Jimny for a day to explore Villa Winter more.

 

 

Thought we'd try Lanzarote for a change. Booked through  Low Cost Holidays - no problem at all - always cheaper than Thomsons (which we do like) & Thomas Crook (which we don't !)
Stayed at the Santa Rosa appartments in Costa Teguise - half board, not bad for price.
View over complex
Costa Teguise is nice - very windy - more so than Fuerteventura. The entrance to the small market place was designed by Cesar Manrique, a well known artist/sculptor on the island. The festival visited town one night - (below) and very lively !
Took a bus ride (well couriered) to Teguise market. The market occupies all streets of the town and the church is really well preserved and worth a visit. Vik, for some reason, thought the dirty great big black pig was really cool !
A return trip to Mallorca - thought we'd try Cala d'Or as it looked quite nice when we went to Calles de Mallorca last June - really nice place - probably going to make this place a regular. Stopped at the Puerto del sol appartments overlooking the marina - only 3 star but got everything you need - clean, quiet and all-inc.) via Low Cost Holidays again.

 

 

The picture of the front of the Puerto del Sol is off the net, as I can't find my photo anywhere ! The marina is lovely and we had a marina view (just !) Plenty of bars and eateries to choose from and not particularly expensive. Below is the train that goes round town etc. - well worth the 4 euros and I want the driver's job when he retires.

 

Off to Lanzarote again - this time Playa Blanca, not so windy and a nice quiet place with nice walks to town and lighthouse - room was right on the front and the hotel Royal Monica was very nice - all incl. again.

 

Our apartment was right on the  sea front.

 

 

From the front you can see Fuerteventura and Los Lobos (tr. the wolves)

 

 

To the left a photo from the air - you can just make out  the lighthouse (Pechiguerra) in the far distance.

 

 

The stretch of water between the 2 islands is called the Bocaina Strait
You can walk either to the right (lighthouse) or the left which eventually leads to the market at Rubicon Marina. We cheated and took the bus !

 

A couple of new additions to the area - the area between the hotel and Esquinzo has been developed a little so you can take a nice walk around and opposite the front of the hotel a supermarket has been built - not Dino's by the way.

 

 

Thought we'd treat ourselves - stayed a night in the Hard Day's Night hotel, with my name on TV and Lennon looking over us ! Nice place - worth a visit. On the second night we stayed at the Blenheim in Aigburth again.
On the way to Chester we made a slight detour to the boat lift at Northwich - Anderton's is one of only two in the UK, the other being the Falkirk Wheel. The lift takes boats up from the river Weaver to the Trent & Mersey Canal.
Various pix of Chester including the cathedral and the Pied Bull where we stayed. 

 

Stayed at Royal Monica in Playa Blanca again - quite windy this time. Ventured to the Marina Market again, and did the trip to the Timfaya Volcano Park - enjoyed that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Off again to Mallorca and Cala d'Or again - we seem to have fallen for Mallorca - it's little coves and mountain scenery. Below are pix of Cala Egos - Vik wants a house on the cliff when we win the lottery ! Next is Cala Figuera, a really quaint fishing village. Next is Formentor, at the end of the Tramuntana Mountain range - driving there was very hairy and Vik had to reverse the car in the car park _ I s..t myself ! and finally Felanitx where there is a busy street market and impressive church - Mallorca is definitely up there for impressive churches/ 
A quick couple of days up in Whitby and Scarborough.
We then went on to stay at Blands Cliff, just off the main street - must sat that Scarborough is looking very tired and scruffy lately.
Stayed at Captains Lodge up on the cliffs, just around the corner from where Bram Stoker stayed on the Royal Crescent whilst reseaarcching and writing Dracula between 1890 and 1896.
Off to Mallorca again - the NE -Alcudia. Stayed at the Condes de Alcudia - quite nice hotel - think we were on the 9th floor !
Drove through the Tramuntana mountains to Deia one day - it's where  Robert Graves lived his later life at the house, above right (author of I Claudius and others)- the scenery is stunning if not a bit scary.
Visit 'Let's Get Away' 4 for more places we've visited !

The 365 Calvari Steps at Pollenca - visited a nice little street market there.

 

               AUGUST 2013

A quick stay at Harrogate & York

 

 

JUNE 2013

  Mallorca

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          SEPTEMBER 2013

       FUERTEVENTURA

 

 

     MARCH 2014

    LANZAROTE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            SEPTEMBER 2014

               LANZAROTE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         JUNE 2014

                            MALLORCA

 

 

 

                            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drove up the zig zag road to Santuari de Sant Salvador - historic monastery near Felantix.
The abbey is a former monastery 509 metre high and has lovely views all around. It was founded in 1348.
Since 1992 the former cells have been rented in the old buildings, which also has a restaurant. You can walk over to the cross on the other peak but we didn't bother - too hot !

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 2014

FUERTEVENTURA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       December 2014

A 3 DAY DIVERSION  TO :

LIVERPOOL   & CHESTER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LANZAROTE

      March 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NORTHUMBERLAND

18/19th May 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAJORCA

June 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        MALLORCA

                     SEPTEMBER 2015

 

WHITBY & SCARBOROUGH

                    JULY 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                         

                        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alcudia

 

 

 

 

Puig Major, the highest point in Mallorca, 1,436m or 4,71 ft high

 

 

 

Colonia de Sant Pierre

 

 

 

Porto Cristo -lovely place near the caves of Drach. Rafael Nadal's house is in the bay - smashing setting but I don't think he was in !

 

 

Cap Formentor

 

Alcudia Town Hall

 

 

 

 

Soller

 

 

 

Went from Berwick down to Seahouses staying at Farne Islands B & B - well recommended and went on Billy Shiels boat trip around the Farne Islands - extremely wet but good fun and well worth it. Whilst there we visited Alnwick and Bamburgh Castle (pictured). Whilst at Bamburgh we caught up with the tale of Grace Horsley Darling who was an English lighthouse keeper's daughter, famed for participating in the rescue of survivors from the shipwrecked Forfarshire in 1838 - pictured is her grave at Bamburgh church.
North East for 2 nights - stayed at Castle View House in Berwick - lovely, friendly B & B by the River Tweed. L S Lowrie stayed here on numerous occasions and he painted the Lion House and the Town Hall below, whilst there.
The Volcan de Tindaya, one of a few Armas ferries operating the Canaries.
A rare pic of Vik, having a rest on the way to Playa Blanca
Special one-off treat to Jandia Princess for a week and we got special adults only service - what fine people ! Took a Thomsons holiday this time, again all inc.
Decided to spend a couple of days at Ironbridge. Stayed at the White Hart on the river front - quite nice and then on the way home made a detour north westerly towards Wrexham.