An Olympic Sized Holiday

A 40-day adventure by My Awesome Adventures Read more

Follow Insights Calendar Photos Share

An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Jane Austen Centre
August 10, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
I know, I know. I’m in Bath! I should be looking at all that beautiful architecture. However I love Jane Austen too much and this was a fantastic opportunity. I got a guided tour from Anne Elliot (one of my favourite characters) and also got to meet Mr Bingley, Mr Wickham, Mr Woodhouse, Mr Knightley and Georgiana Darcy. I got to try on costumes, smell teas and in general have a fabulous time. If I had more time I would have enjoyed a cream tea in their regency tea rooms. Instead, I grabbed my souvenirs and hoofed it back to the bus!Read more
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Bath
August 10, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
There is a lot of lovely architecture in Bath, including the Abbey. I saw a bit as I was dashing to and from the Jane Austen Centre
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Tŷ (That’s pronounced “tea”)
Aug 10–11, 2024 in Wales ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Tonight’s hotel is brand new! It’s even got the new carpet smell going on. It’s very Welsh and I love it! The dragon is fantastic. I also love the fact that I get to learn a bit of language while I’m here. Tŷ - the name of the hotel, means “house”.Read more
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Welsh Evening
August 10, 2024 in Wales ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
This evening I went to a lovely dinner and show “A Taste of Wales” held at The Cornerstone in Cardiff.

It was a fabulous evening with excellent food and music. The performers were very friendly and taught us some Welsh (which I have unfortunately already forgotten).Read more
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Front of the bus!
August 11, 2024 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
I’m at the front of the bus today, so here are some random shots of the motorway, Welsh scenery and bilingual street signs.
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Tenby
August 11, 2024 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
This is the best bonus stop ever! Our scheduled ferry to Ireland has broken down, so we have to catch one with a different company which is much later. Our tour director then organised a stop here in Tenby. It’s a lovely walled town, either cute little cove beaches and lovely pastel painted houses. I absolutely love it. It’s much better than St Ives!

I’m having lunch in a little cafe. welsh tea, and Welsh Rarebit (cheddar, leeks and I’m not exactly sure what else on toasted sourdough with balsamic vinegar).Read more
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Boarding the ferry
August 11, 2024 in Wales ⋅ 🌬 23 °C
Dum da dah dum. Random Customs checks! Very glad I wasn’t picked on, but there was plenty of ribbing of the six people that did get checked.
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Cruising through Milford Haven
August 11, 2024 in Wales ⋅ 🌬 21 °C
According to our Tour Director, we sail through the “original” Milford Sound, but according to Google Maps, it’s Milford Haven. The scenery is lovely, including Stock Rock Fort and Thorne Island.
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
A hundred million welcomes
August 11, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Here we are arriving in Ireland!
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
More signs and countryside
August 11, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Ireland decided to greet us with rain. However, here are a few more bilingual street signs, but in Irish this time!

We are also back in a land that uses kilometres as measurement. Hooray!
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Granville Hotel - Waterford
Aug 11–12, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
A very nice, very pretty hotel. Unfortunately because it is so old and pretty, sometimes there are issues with things like lifts, showers etc. The meal in the restaurant was excellent!
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Waterford Crystal
August 12, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
We did a lovely tour of the Waterford Crystal factory. I had no idea that so much of it was done by hand!

You can see lots of craftsmen at work and some lovely examples of trophies, glassware, vases, ornaments etc.

The hardest bit was getting out of the shop at the end! I really wanted a beautiful set of martini glasses, but they cost so much that I would forever be too scared to use them. The final photo is of my purchase - a lovely little vase, which I paid extra to get shipped home, because knowing me - I’d have an accident on the way. In fact, I think the vase will get home before I do!Read more
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Christchurch Cathedral
August 12, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Across the road from Waterford Crystal is a lovely Cathedral and Bishop’s Palace. There are also some rather interesting statues.

We were a little bit delayed due to our tour director having a microphone malfunction and needing to buy a new one, so I went first a bit of a wander.

Waterford is Ireland’s oldest city. It has lots of Viking influences.Read more
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
More countryside and villages
August 12, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
While I’m freezing my backside off in this well air conditioned bus, the countryside and villages roll past my window. It’s all so very picturesque.

Our tour director, Peter, is keeping us well entertained with trivia and historical tidbits, along with local folklore.Read more
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
The gift of the gab
August 12, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
My mum would argue that I don’t need any help in this regard, but with a visit to Blarney Castle meant that I simply HAD to try to kiss the stone.

Ultimately, it was a little bit too tricky, but loads of fun!

The gardens are beautiful. The castle itself has very narrow stairs and all the rooms seem much smaller than what you imagine when reading history books. This was definitely a fun visit.Read more
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Trident Hotel - Kinsale
Aug 12–13, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 19 °C
This hotel has a bit of a nautical theme. Everything in red white and blue. I have a decent view, but the car park was as absolute nightmare for our driver, Lamar. He really is a champion.
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
A walk through Kinsale
August 12, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 17 °C
This is a nice little seaside town. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but lots of brightly painted shops.
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Irish green
August 13, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
This is what I’m talking about! Lovely green rolling fields, wooded lanes and streams. Just look at all that green! Lovely, damp, living green, not the dry, burnt green of Australia. This is what I came to see and I’m loving it!Read more
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
The Kerry Bog Village
August 13, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 15 °C
This was a lovely stop as we started the Ring of Kerry. Lots of information on how people lived in Ireland during the 18th and 19th centuries.

While I have managed to dodge the seagulls at the beach, here I was almost taken out by a swallow - twice!Read more
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
View over Dingle Bay
August 13, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 16 °C
A quick stop for a few photos. There is also lots of lovely flowers and berry brambles along the road.
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
More scenery on the Ring of Kerry
August 13, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 16 °C
This really is a lovely scenic drive.
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Waterville
August 13, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 17 °C
Another lovely little stop on our tour. Complete with rocky beach. I love how in lush green lawns you can get beautiful little wild daisies here. Also there is a statue of Charlie Chaplin, who spent some time here.

Check out the final house! Wouldn’t it be nice to be brought in my private helicopter! As it turns out, Richard Nixon stayed in that house after the Watergate scandal.Read more
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Views from the Com an Chiste Pass
August 13, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 17 °C
Absolutely stunning views. However I felt like I was going to be blown down a ravine! What a day to choose to wear shorts.
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Sneem
August 13, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 18 °C
Quite a nice little town that the tour director picked for us to have a late lunch in. Unfortunately, about 20 other buses had the same idea and more are arriving. We’re double parked somewhere with hazard lights on and all the food places have huge queues. I think I’ll just skip lunch and find an out of the way area to stand (no seating!)Read more
0 likes
An Olympic Sized Holiday Traveler
Ladies view
August 13, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 17 °C
“This is the finest view in all my Empire” declared Queen Victoria when brought to this spot. I’m not quite sure that I agree, but it is charming.
0 likes