Travel Notes
Outstanding Finds around Yorkshire
Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire I always enjoy visiting historic country house estates. They are usually chock full of history, art, architecture and beautiful gardens too. Hardwick Hall was all of that but the history is particularly interesting as Bess of Hardwick who...
An Idyllic Week in Yorkshire
Many people who visit the UK focus on London, which is a great city with lots to do. However there is so much more to the UK than London, just as there is more to America than New York. A scenic spot to the north with something for everyone is Yorkshire. In...
Why Viking Ocean Cruise is Number One
Over the years we have cruised on many different cruise ships, some big, some medium and some small. We have done both the sailing ships and the powered ships. While we have enjoyed them all, none of them matched up to our recent cruise on the Viking Sea. As a...
Not your usual Car Hire company
Car Hire Companies are out of control! Need to hire a car in Europe? The state of the industry is terrible! Practically all the car hire companies won't even rent to you unless you take their expensive extra insurance package. Or if they do, they hit your credit...
Our Secret Windsor Lodging Find!
We have always held that Windsor is like a little micro version of London. Windsor has great restaurants, lots of shopping, the river, the wonderful Windsor Royal Theatre and of course Windsor Castle. Some of almost everything you like about London can be found in...
Historic Edinburgh
It won't take long for any visitor to Edinburgh to understand that this is one of the world's great historical cities. And as you would expect from such a place, there is lots to see. No visit is complete without a stroll down the Royal Mile or a visit to Edinburgh...
A Visit to Beautiful Florence Court
Florence Court is an 18th century country house built by the Cole family and home of the Earls of Enniskillen until the mid-20th century. Although smaller than many of the houses of its time, there is no mistaking the Palladium underpinnings of the home, highlighted...
Visit to Historic Enniskillen Castle
Historic Enniskillen Castle is really two trips in one. The first part is all about the Gaelic Maguires and the castle, itself, which is over 600 years old. The other is about the military history of the local regiments that came from Enniskillen and features many...
Fun visit to Marble Arch Caves
We spent most of the day at the Marble Arch Caves today and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The exhibition area prior to entering the caves details the story of how they were formed and also how they were found and explored. The caves themselves had a fun boat ride and...
Dollakis – Interesting Greek restaurant in Enniskillen
We had just arrived in Enniskillen and were looking for someplace for dinner. Using our TripAdvisor app, we found Dollakis Greek Restaurant and decided to try it. We were offered their Meze menu, which included a big variety of selections. It was one of those 1 from...
The Ulster American Folk Park
We had planned to visit the Ulster-American Folk Park, near Omagh, Northern Ireland, and spend some time in their genealogy centre checking on Irish roots, but when we arrived, on a Sunday, we learned the centre is closed on Sundays. However, our disappointment was...
York – A Great Yorkshire Base
If you ever thought about exploring the north of England, the Yorkshire area is the place to go. It has spectacular scenery in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the North Yorkshire Moors, there a beautiful country houses, castles and gardens to explore. And the...
Cumberland Art Gallery at Hampton Court Palace
If you are an art fan, you have to check out the new Cumberland Art Gallery which opened in November 2015 at Hampton Court Palace. It showcases many famous artists, a subset of magnificent artworks from the Royal Collection, including works from one of our...
Annecy
We are constantly amazed at how few people know about Annecy, France. Perhaps the French want to keep a few places just for themselves, and this is one of them! Often called the Venice of the Alps, Annecy has spectacular scenery with a beautiful lake framed by the...
Salzburg Festival: July 18 – August 30, 2015
One of the best known festivals in all of Europe is the Salzburg Festival, also known as the Salzburg Music Festival. The Salzburg Festival 2015 will include 188 performances in 44 days over 12 venues. The Salzburg Festival is often described as the greatest and most...
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
One of our most memorable experiences is having attended The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. If you are a fan of history, especially military history, or if you just enjoy a great show, this event is not to be missed. It was an unseasonably cool night when we...
Innkeeper’s Lodge Old Windsor
We have passed by the Toby Carvery in Old Windsor for years and never realised there were any accommodations. But The Innkeeper's Lodge is there, a small hotel just behind the restaurant. It is quite convenient not only to Windsor but to Heathrow Airport. Check-in...
Live like a Roman!
We can’t say enough good things about A San Pietro da Susy - this is a fantastic apartment in a great location that is beautifully furnished and well managed. Our taxi dropped us at the front door, and we were immediately greeted by the owner, who was out on the...
Hotel Review: Hampton Inn Nashville Goodlettsville
Some may balk at this review of a hotel belonging to the lowest chain of the Hilton brand, but our experience with this particular Hampton Inn has always been more like coming home than staying in a hotel. We’ve stayed at this hotel in the past, and we always enjoyed...
Hotel Review – Mercure Salzburg City
This is certainly not the best hotel in Salzburg, but it has everything a traveler will need. Prices in the area are high in general, but the Mercure Salzburg City had a comfortable room at a reasonable price. While Mercure hotels are not known for luxury, the room...
Hotel Review – De Vere Venues Wokefield Park
The De Vere Venues Wokefield Park is centred around a beautiful country house in very nice rural grounds not far from Reading. We stayed while attending a conference recently and found it to be a study in compromises. We did not stay in the main building, although...
Hotel Review – Holiday Inn Express Windsor
The Holiday Inn Express in Windsor is a convenient hotel just a couple of blocks from the area's main shopping district. the rate was excellent for the area. Located just off a roundabout of the A308, it is easily reached by Motorway and a dual carriageway running...
Hotel Review – Hilton Reykjavik Nordica
The Hilton Reykjavik Nordica is a very nice hotel centrally located just on the outskirts of Reykjavik. The nightly price was reasonable for Iceland, and the rooms were much larger than expected, decked out in traditional minimalist Scandanavian style. The beds were...
Hotel Review – Hilton Garden Inn Queens/JFK
We were mostly disappointed with our stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Queens/JFK, but we will give them another chance. The first problem arose from the information the Hilton system supplies to the booking agents. They state: "..Less than 3 miles from John F. Kennedy...