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Jayne Eckersall
Jayne Eckersall

Jayne Eckersall

15 カ国を旅行しました もっと詳しく
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  • FUN and hopefully SUN 🌞 in FUNCHAL

    The Last Breakfast

    10月19日, ポルトガル ☁️ 17 °C

    Time to Head Home! 🧳✈️
    Well, here we are again! This time last week, our cases 🧳🧳 were packed, and we were full of holiday spirit, ready to start our adventure. Now, our cases 🧳🧳 are packed once again, but this time we're waiting to head home! 😢
    And just to get us into that going-home vibe, the weather has decided to be overcast ☁️ once again! I can even see 👀 the rain 🌧 topping up the Atlantic Ocean not too far away out at sea! 🌊😂
    After our final breakfast 🍳☕️, we headed out for one last walk 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️. This time, though, we decided to take the bull 🐃 by the horns and not stray too far from the hotel, just in case that rain decided to make landfall and catch us out! 🌧️😂
    We spotted another cruise 🛳 liner in port, this time belonging to P&O, and on our way back to the hotel, we discovered some more of those lovely painted doors 🎨🚪.
    Back at the hotel, we enjoyed one last sit on our balcony, accompanied by a lovely coffee ☕️ and a delicious Pastel de Nata 🥮. You've got to make the most of those final holiday moments, haven't you? ❤️
    Then it was time to head downstairs and wait for our 12:15 pm pick-up to the airport 🛫.
    Just 25 minutes later, we were stepping out of the minibus 🚐 and checking our bags in for our flight home. And guess what? We were already talking about our NEXT holiday! 😂🏝️
    This time, we're dreaming of the beautiful Caribbean island of Saint Lucia in January! 🌴☀️🍹
    And just like that, another holiday adventure is coming to an end. We've made some lovely memories, enjoyed some wonderful moments, and now it's time to head home and start looking forward to the next adventure! ❤️🧳✈️
    Until the next time… holiday mode might be on pause, but the countdown to Saint Lucia has already begun! 🌴🇱🇨☀️    もっと詳しく

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  • FUN and hopefully SUN 🌞 in FUNCHAL
    Cliff Bay Hotel on the left

    Another Day, Another Hotel and Another Ship 🚢

    10月18日, ポルトガル ⛅ 19 °C

    Our last full day here on Madeira 🇵🇹, and the weather wasn’t looking too promising, with dark clouds gathering over the hills behind Funchal. ☁️
    On our morning walk, we spotted another cruise ship 🚢 (NCL) that had arrived overnight. We soon found ourselves walking against a tide of day-trippers disembarking from the moored cruise ships!
    We decided to check out another of the PortoBay hotels 🏨, the five-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Cliff Bay, just a couple of hundred yards beyond Reid’s Palace. As guests of PortoBay hotels, we had access to the pool and spa areas, and it was immediately obvious why this hotel boasts one star 🌟 more than our own!
    During our coffee ☕️ break; at this hotel, we were lucky enough to avoid a brief shower. However, with the weather still looking rather uncertain, we decided to err on the side of caution and take a taxi 🚖 back to our hotel.
    We arrived just in time to wave goodbye to the day-trippers as the cruise ships sailed ⛵️ away from the harbour — although, sadly, there was no glorious sunset to see them off! 🌥️
    A lovely way to spend our final full day on this beautiful island, despite the weather having other ideas! ❤️🇵🇹    もっと詳しく

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  • FUN and hopefully SUN 🌞 in FUNCHAL
    11

    When Saturday Comes ⚽️

    10月17日, ポルトガル ⛅ 18 °C

    🌞 We woke up to a lovely, beautiful morning, with the sun shining down on us as we enjoyed breakfast on the terrace. It was probably the nicest day of our holiday so far! ☀️😎
    That was until 3 o’clock, when I turned my attention to my phone 📱 to watch Leyton Orient take on Blackpool. ⚽️ It was shortly after the commentator remarked that Orient were there for the taking that they went and scored, ruining everything! 😫 To make matters worse, they eventually added a second goal, leaving us with a disappointing 2–0 defeat. ⚽️⚽️😪 So much for a perfect day!
    But before all the football drama, we enjoyed our usual walk into the Old Town after breakfast, mingling with the hordes of tourists who had arrived on the cruise ship Celebrity Xcel. 🚢 There were certainly plenty of people about!
    We made our way back towards the hotel along the slightly quieter promenade, with the football providing the entertainment for the afternoon. ⚽️📱 Looking behind my sunbed, I was very envious of the cat 🐈 that had slept all through the football match and wished I had done the same!!
    After our evening meal, we headed out for another stroll down by the marina to see if there was any entertainment happening. However, we didn't stay too long before making our way back to the hotel.
    And just like that, our penultimate day is over!

    Tomorrow is our last full day of the holiday.
    🌴☀️ Let's hope we make the most of it! 😊🍹    もっと詳しく

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  • FUN and hopefully SUN 🌞 in FUNCHAL
    12

    🌞 Another Lovely Day in Madeira

    10月16日, ポルトガル ☀️ 17 °C

    We woke up to a very pleasant morning, and thankfully, it didn’t seem to be too hot.
    After breakfast, we decided to take a walk into the centre. We stopped off at Funchal Cathedral, where once again, another service was taking place. They’re a pretty devout lot, these Catholics! 😂 Anyway, I decided to pop inside, say a prayer 🙏 for friends and light a candle 🕯️.
    From there, we retraced our footsteps 👣, but instead of stopping off at the Savoy Royal, we carried on to another superior hotel 🏨 — Reid’s Palace.
    Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Reid’s Palace has been the ultimate place to unwind in the Madeiran sunshine since opening its doors in 1891. What a beautiful setting!
    We found a lovely little spot on the terrace and enjoyed a coffee ☕️ and cake 🍰 while soaking up the stunning views and wonderful ambience. Of course, all this luxury comes at a price! A week’s stay here would cost us just another £5,000 on top of what we’ve already paid for our hotel down in the old town — and that’s just for bed and breakfast! 😲💷 I think we’ll stick with our current accommodation!
    After settling the bill and taking a couple of photos 📸, we headed back down into the old town. Our next stop was BHEAVEN, a rooftop bar above the Barceló Funchal Oldtown Hotel, where we fancied checking out the views before heading back to our own hotel for some serious sunbathing. ☀️🍹
    After dinner, we took another stroll, this time along the marina, where we enjoyed listening to some live music 🎶 and soaking up the evening atmosphere.
    All in all, another lovely day in Madeira, with a bit of sightseeing, a touch of luxury, some sunshine and a relaxing evening by the water. What more could you ask for? 😊🇵🇹❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • FUN and hopefully SUN 🌞 in FUNCHAL
    11

    Flying in a Tin Can 🚡

    10月15日, ポルトガル ☁️ 20 °C

    🎶 “Ground Control to Major Tom…” 🎶
    As David Bowie once sang in Space Oddity (1969):
    “For here am I sitting in a tin can
    Far above the world
    Planet Earth is blue
    And there's nothing I can do.” 🚀

    Well, not too far removed from that song, Jayne and I found ourselves this morning sitting in a tin-can cable car 🚡,
    High above Funchal and making our way up to the hilltop parish of Monte.
    At around 560 metres above sea level, we weren't quite in orbit, but the views certainly made us feel a long way above the world! 😁
    Only, instead of seeing a blue planet 🌎, our view of Planet Earth was a beautiful, lush green 💚.
    And there was absolutely nothing we could do about it… other than sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride! 😂

    Our first cable car journey took approximately 15 minutes, covering around 3.2 kilometres from Funchal's Old Town up to Monte. 🚡
    On arrival, we changed cable cars for the Botanical Garden Cable Car, which glides over the Ribeira de João Gomes valley on a further 1.6-kilometre journey. Taking around 9 minutes under normal conditions, this second ride offers wonderful panoramic views across Funchal and the surrounding landscape, with the city spreading out beneath us.
    From the gardens, the views were magnificent, stretching down towards Funchal Bay, where the lush green of nature merges beautifully with the deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean. 💚💙
    We spent a very leisurely time wandering around the gardens, admiring the many different flowers 🌺🌸 and plants, and enjoying a coffee with a view. ☕️🏞️
    Of course, not everything was quite so leisurely! 😂 One thing that really surprised us was just how much steeper the walk had become since our previous visit, only four years ago. Calling it a walk is probably being a little generous — a trek might be a more accurate description! 🧗‍♂️😁
    Before heading back down the hill, however, I just had time for a visit to the Church of Our Lady of the Mount (Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte), which holds a fascinating piece of European history.
    The church is the final resting place of Emperor Charles I of Austria, the last Emperor of Austria and the last ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
    Following the collapse of the empire at the end of the First World War, Charles was sent into exile in Madeira in 1921. He settled in Monte, but sadly, his time on the island was short-lived. He died there in 1922, aged just 34, after contracting pneumonia.
    His remains lie in the church, a rather unexpected historical connection between this peaceful Madeiran hillside and the turbulent final days of one of Europe's great imperial dynasties.
    It's quite something to think that, while we were enjoying the gardens and spectacular views, this small corner of Madeira was also the final home of a former emperor. History certainly has a way of surprising you when you least expect it! 🇦🇹🇵🇹
    Having already paid for our return cable car tickets, we decided to give the famous traditional Carreiros do Monte wicker-basket toboggan ride a miss this time. 🛷
    After all, we'd already had our fair share of adventures up in the clouds! 🚡☁️
    And perhaps, after all that walking uphill, the prospect of a steep descent in a wicker basket was just a little more adventure than we needed! 😂
    Madeira certainly knows how to bring a little magic to a day out — spectacular scenery, beautiful gardens, a touch of imperial history, and just enough uphill exercise to remind us that we're not getting any younger! 😁💚💙🇵🇹    もっと詳しく

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  • FUN and hopefully SUN 🌞 in FUNCHAL

    Something fishy here......

    10月14日, ポルトガル ☁️ 16 °C

    We were rudely woken before 07:00 by a bunch of noisy travellers who clearly didn’t give a jot about sleeping hotel guests as they manoeuvred and reversed 🚢 into Funchal! 😴
    On the positive side, I was planning an early start anyway, heading off to check out the fish market at Mercado dos Lavradores (Farmers’ Market). 🐟
    It was a little disappointing, as the market didn’t appear to be particularly busy, with less than half the fish slabs in use. There was, however, a good variety of fish on display, including some enormous Blue Tuna, Red Porgy (or Pargo, as it’s known locally), a member of the Sea Bream family, and the rather ferocious-looking Black Scabbard Fish, with its eel-shaped body, big eyes and razor-sharp teeth! 😳
    There were also Grey Triggerfish, Moray Eels, a solitary Octopus 🐙 and numerous small white fish.
    On my walk back to the hotel 🏨 for breakfast, I passed the beautifully painted doors of Rua de Santa Maria, one of Funchal’s oldest streets, famous for its more than 200 individually painted doors. 🎨🚪
    Breakfast brought a minor celebration as we finally found the porridge! 😋 That was quickly followed by another delicious, colourful omelette.
    While eating, we couldn’t help feeling that we were being watched! 👀 Just a few yards away sat a Harris Hawk and its handler. The hawk kept its beady eyes firmly on the lookout, not for breakfast scraps, but to protect our food from the unwanted attention of those pesky pigeons! 🦅🐦
    Later that morning, during our walk 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️, we came across a small 15th-century chapel, Capela do Corpo Santo, built by local fishermen. A lovely little find along the way.
    Back at the hotel, the sun 🌞 finally came out, so we claimed our sunbeds 😎 and settled in for the rest of the day. Jayne enjoyed a swim 🏊 in the indoor spa pool, while I managed a couple of lengths in the jacuzzi! 😅 Well, everyone has to make an effort in their own way! 😂
    During a coffee ☕️ break on our balcony, accompanied by a delicious Portuguese custard tart 😋, we spotted a Kestrel. Perhaps it had heard about the pesky pigeons and decided to lend a helping wing! 🦅
    We also waved 👋 bye-bye 👋 to the day-trippers as their cruise ships 🛳 headed off, leaving Funchal a little quieter.
    🍽️ Tonight’s Treat – Gourmet Night!
    Tonight was gourmet night in the hotel restaurant, when the staff serve guests at their tables rather than the usual buffet-style arrangement.
    We were treated to a delicious six-course meal, starting with a small mouthful of fish-paste-style appetiser. This was followed by a starter of avocado 🥑 for Jayne and pork 🐖 for me, then a warming leek soup 🍲.
    Next came a palate-cleansing sorbet before the main courses arrived: Linguine with Neapolitan sauce for Jayne and a Sea Bream fillet 🐟 for me.
    I couldn’t help wondering 🤔 whether mine might have been one of the fish I’d spotted at the market that morning! 😂
    To finish, Jayne opted for the Chocolate Fondant, while I went for a rather different combination: two biscuits and three pieces of cheese from the cheese platter. 🧀😋
    And so another day in Madeira draws to a close, with a bit of sightseeing, plenty of sunshine, some wildlife spotting and, of course, good food.

    Not a bad way to spend a holiday, is it? 😎🍷🇵🇹    もっと詳しく

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  • FUN and hopefully SUN 🌞 in FUNCHAL

    🌴 Our 1st Full Day in Madeira!

    10月13日, ポルトガル ☁️ 18 °C

    Our first full day, which is nearly always the worst day of any holiday! 😅 You're trying to find your feet and get used to your surroundings, whilst figuring out the important things in life… what cereals are available, what juices are on offer, and, in our case, is there ANY porridge??? 🤔😂
    After breakfast, we headed out for a walk around Funchal Old Town. On our previous visit, we only ventured into town a couple of times, as it was a 45-minute walk there and then the same back, involving some quite hilly terrain! 🥵🚶‍♂️
    Our first port of call was right next door to our hotel: the old fortress of Forte de São Tiago (Saint James Fortress), built in 1614 to protect what was then a much smaller city of Funchal from corsair attacks. 🏰
    We continued our walk through the very narrow, cobblestoned and historic streets of Rua de Santa Maria, which, of course, is where our hotel gets its name. 😊
    Next stop was the 500-year-old Catholic Cathedral, Sé do Funchal, dating back to 1514. We quickly popped inside, but unfortunately, a service was taking place, which meant we couldn't venture much further than the entrance. ⛪
    Carrying on with our walk, we entered the beautiful gardens of Parque de Santa Catarina. We remembered these from our previous visit back in 2022. 🌺🌳
    Then it was onwards and upwards… literally! 😂 We walked past the casino and into the luxurious Savoy Palace Royal Hotel. Curious 🤔 as to what an extra €100 per day, room only, would get us, we wandered inside and made our way down to the pool area to see how the other half holidayed! 🏨🍹
    In one of the large rooms near the outdoor pool, there was a two-day holiday show that I was itching to visit. Unfortunately, I thought better of it… mainly because I didn't have a pass! 😂🤦‍♂️
    Walking back towards the Marina, we narrowly avoided the purgatory of a two-hour presentation at the Pestana Carlton Hotel. Apparently, it wasn't about buying a timeshare, or so we were reliably informed!! 🤔🤥😅
    We eventually arrived back at our hotel 🏨 just as the sun decided to put in an appearance. ☀️
    The rest of the day was spent relaxing before heading downstairs for the reception meeting for Prestige members of PortoBay Hotels and the obligatory free prosecco!🍷🥂

    And that was our first full day in Madeira! 🇵🇹❤️ A gentle introduction to Funchal, with a bit of history, some beautiful gardens, a touch of luxury, and, thankfully, no two-hour presentations! 😂🤣    もっと詳しく

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  • FUN and hopefully SUN 🌞 in FUNCHAL

    ........And relax......

    10月12日, イングランド 🌧 13 °C

    The alarm ⏰️ sounded at the ungodly hour of 03:45, signalling the start of our holiday! 😱 We were up, dressed and suitcases 🎒🎒 locked by the time our taxi 🚕 arrived at 05:00 to whisk us off to Liverpool Airport for our Jet2 flight to Madeira. ✈️
    Just over 90 minutes later, our bags were checked in, we'd breezed through security, and we were heading off for a delicious cooked breakfast. 😋 Or so I thought! In reality, it turned out to be probably the worst £20 I've ever spent on a full English breakfast! 😪💷
    After a false boarding call had everybody dashing towards the gate, we were sent back to the main concourse to await the correct call to reassemble at Gate 3. 🙄
    Thankfully, we didn't have to wait too long. Just 15 minutes after our scheduled 10:00 departure 🛫, we were airborne and on our way to Funchal, with Madeira just 3½ hours away! ☀️🏝️
    By 16:00, we'd checked into our hotel 🏨, found our room, unpacked our cases and were enjoying a nice, cold first holiday beer! 🍺😎 Now that's more like it!
    After a leisurely wander around the hotel to get our bearings it was time to freshen up and head downstairs for our first meal of the holiday.
    Dinner was accompanied by traditional Madeiran music and dancing, which reminded us a little of clog dancing back home, but thankfully without the clashing of batons and the jingling of bells! 😂💃🕺
    And just like that, our Madeira adventure had officially begun! 🇵🇹❤️🌴    もっと詳しく

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  • If Only.......

    Ready for Home

    5月24日, ギリシャ ⛅ 21 °C

    Once again the weather forecast suggested a worst day than what we had, stating rain and thunderstorms that happily didn't happen - whilst we were there at least.
    So it was a but of a mixed day really with one case packed, weighed and locked we headed to breakfast which was again an indoor affair.
    Afterwards we went and camped on sunbeds that were near our Maisonette. As usual we headed to the beach bar for our last holiday beers 🍻 before taking advantage of the last few hours by the pool, before heading inside for a shower and watch Bolton win promotion in the League 1 Play Off Final. Cases packed and ready yo depart we headed for the 18:30 opening of our our last meal here in Crete. Whilst we ate our meal our cases were brought from our room and placed in the luggage 🧳 🧳 store. At 19:30 precisely our taxi 🚕 pulled into the hotel 🏨 grounds, our cases loaded and Jayne and I had a pleasant daylight drive back to the airport seeing all the things we missed just 8 days earlier.
    At the airport we were quickly through baggage drop off, emigration and security waiting to be called to our gate along with the throngs of other passengers heading to East Midlands or Tel Aviv.
    We took off pretty much on time 11:30 landing back in Manchester just over 4 hours later at 01:30 UK time on Monday morning. Just 45 minutes later we are heading to our taxi and home 🏡 at 03:20 and in bed shortly after 😴 💤    もっと詳しく

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  • If Only.......
    1

    Sax on a Saturday Night

    5月23日, ギリシャ ☁️ 19 °C

    Our penultimate day and what to do with ourselves.
    The local weather app says light showers 🌧
    The good old trusty BBC weather App says rain 🌧 from 09:00 progressing to thundery showers ⛈️ and a light wind later in the day. No matter what, I think we are going to get wet - even the hotel has placed a collection of umbrellas 🌂 by the door. Walking over to breakfast the dark clouds were looming and the doors to the outside seating area were closed.
    So decision time do we head back into Rethymno and shelter in shops or preferably bars when the rain comes or stay at the hotel and see 👀 🤔 what happens as the sun 🌞 is shining and not a cloud in the sky now 🤔 🤔. One thing is for sure the hotel and pool has got busier with a fresh intake of guests AND they have brought kids with them!!!! 🤣🤣
    We decided to stay at the hotel and make use of the pool and also the beach bar for a spot of lunch whilst watching 👀 the waves crashing in, today the sea is definitely slightly rougher than it has been all week.
    As the sun went in, so did we to begin to start packing our suitcases for our journey home tomorrow. But we did have some good news - check out is normally 11:00, when we asked about the possibility of a later check out 14:00 looked very promising as nobody was due to check in our room on Sunday. Then we received a message from the hotel saying we didn't have to check out until 19:00 just 1/2 and before our taxi back to the airport was due.
    No sunset tonight as the clouds made a full reappearance but at least it hasn't rained ....yet as the a la carte dining experience has been moved in door as has the entertainment.    もっと詳しく

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  • If Only.......
    11

    Happy 34th Anniversary 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

    5月22日, ギリシャ ☀️ 21 °C

    So today is what this holiday celebration is all about. 34 years to the day that Jayne and I said I Do.......

    One thing is for sure about this hotel you simply do not need to hurry. We managed to get a breakfast table on the verandah over looking the pool, where we also took time to open our cards and pray that the lottery ticket 🎟 I bought Jayne is a BIG winner 🙏. After a more leisurely breakfast than usual complete with a couple of glasses of fizz 🍾🥂 we were still the 1st guests to claim a spot by the pool.
    It was still like our very own private pool until at least 10:30. And so the day began alternating between the pool, the beach ⛱️ and back to the pool only broken up by pizza for lunch listening once again to the sounds of the waves. No ghetto blasters 🔊🎼 allowed on this beach or at the pool even.
    When we got back to our room we had 'another' cake 🥮 waiting for us, .... but no fizz 🍾 this time. Our anniversary finished much the same as the previous evenings here, buffet dinner, followed by a walk along the busy road and then a beer listening to the music of Thalena and Panagiotis.    もっと詳しく

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  • If Only.......
    11

    Just Another Day in Paradise 🎶

    5月21日, ギリシャ ☀️ 19 °C

    Today was another relaxing and slow day, starting with a leisurely breakfast; eggs and avocado 🥑 on toast.
    Speaking to the Concierge; Eleni, about arranging our taxi to the airport, only to find out:
    a) no transport had been booked, and
    b) today was her name day....
    The name day for Eleni (and its variants like Elena, Lena, and Helen) is celebrated annually on May 21st.This day is a major feast in the Greek Orthodox tradition, commemorating Saints Constantine and Helen (Agios Konstantinos and Agia Eleni). Quick Facts: The Greeting: When wishing someone a happy name day in Greek, you say "Chronia Polla!" (Χρόνια Πολλά), which translates to "Many Years!".
    Fortunately, just one quick phone call back to England and everything was sorted out 😊 ... we now longer have to stay here in the indefinitely 😅
    Lunchtime and pretty much all afternoon was spent on the beach on the nearest Cabana to the bar 🍺😅 just listening to the waves gently rolling in along the shoreline.
    Arriving back at our room we were pleasantly surprised to find Red Rose Mallow Flowers 💐 which are native to Crete, displayed on our bed.
    After dinner it was time to go and catch another stunning sunset 🌇    もっと詳しく

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  • If Only.......
    No sunbed wars here...
    No sunbed wars here...Leaf the sunbeds alone.. 🍃Look blue sky...

    No BOGOF Today.....

    5月20日, ギリシャ ☀️ 19 °C

    First relaxing day of the holiday as in no where to go, nothing to find out and equally nothing to do apart from lounge around the hotel and pool area hoping that the sun will come out 🤞
    We headed straight for breakfast around 08:30; no need to divert and place towels on sunbeds at this hotel. One hour later we are camped on our sun loungers waiting for the sun to show. Almost an hour later and there are still plenty of sunbeds loungers as only a handful of intrepid sun worshippers are out cloud ☁️ bathing. But wait- 10:45 and blue sky has made an appearance 🤔 and the sun came out in abundance. As we weren't venturing far today we opted for another liquid lunch, but unfortunately it was different bar staff today so we didn't qualify for the Buy aone round of beers and Get the next One Free (BOGOF) 😪. Back at the pool we took a leaf and settled down to relax in the shallow waters of the swimming pool.
    Once again after dinner we were treated to another beautiful sunset 🌇, before heading back to the pool bar area for the evening entertainment provided by Kanun and Guitar, playing traditional and artistic music of the Mediterranean.    もっと詳しく

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  • If Only.......
    1

    Rethymno Travel Guide ....

    5月19日, ギリシャ ☁️ 20 °C

    Following the short but scenic walk back down to the old town we came across one of the town's most prominent landmarks the Rimondi Fountain located in Platanou Square, which during Venetian times was the town centre. Built in 1626 by Rector A. Rimondi it was used to supply a large part of the town’s water needs.
    Walking 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️ on we turned a corner to what was an old Ottoman style mosque 🕌 complete with a single minaret (1890) formerly known as the Naradje Mosque but is now a Music School.
    We made our way back towards the old harbour through the honeycomb of cobbled alleyways and narrow streets dappled with shade from overhanging vines and bougainvillea to a lovely quiet cafe bar. We realised after it could have also been a drug 🤪😇 cafe....... anyway we drank the coffee ☕️ instead of wearing it. Walking further on towards the bus 🚌 stop we came across a man(nequin) with a glass of red wine 🍷.... but he wasn't for sharing! 😂
    Near the bus stop was a Greek Orthodox Church; Church of the Four Martyrs a place dedicated to the four Cretan martyrs (Aggelis, Emmanouil, Georgios and Nikolaos) who were brutally tortured before being beheaded on October 28, 1824 at the Guora Porta after refusing to convert to Islam. Relics of three of the Martyrs are still kept inside the Church.
    After a 35 minute standing 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♂️ only bus 🚌 ride we arrived back at the hotel 🏨 where with overcast skies there were still plenty of sunbeds available.    もっと詳しく

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  • If Only.......
    16th Century Venetian Guora Gate1Fortezza of Rethymno built in 16th century1

    A Morning of Holiday Sax

    5月19日, ギリシャ ☁️ 19 °C

    Like in the medieval flore tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, hotel guests were drawn to breakfast this morning by following the sounds of a saxophonist, which also proved to be a very enjoyable start to our day. After breakfast we decided to make use of public transport and headed into Rethymno, the 3rd largest town in Crete. Only our journey didn't last long as unknowingly had to buy our bus tickets from the supermarket across the street first. Fortunately, another bus pulled up shortly after. It looks as though Health and Safety were on holiday when this bus stop was put in place as the bus stops ✋️ right on a zebra crossing. This also means that whilst waiting for the bus 🚌 the traffic kept stopping to let people waiting for the bus to cross the road ..... which of course they didn't 🤣 Anyway, I digress Our standing 🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️room only bus journey eventually arrived in Rethymno and we headed straight for the old town and it's Venetian harbour. After walking out along the wall to the lighthouse and back we re-entered the old harbour area with it's many cafes and restaurants and told to not be afraid and to stop for a drink, unfortunately, we should have been very afraid as the waitress must've misheard me and thought we wanted a beer 🍺 and an expressive coffee ☕️ as when she brought it both Jayne and I along with my cap and phone 📱 ended up wearing it!!! Unfunny enough the cafe workers were more concerned about drying their table than their coffee sodden guests!! Leaving the cafe after paying the full price of the bill, but not for the sugar laden cake we were given as compensation, we walked a little way up the coastline between the sea and the walls of Rethymno's Fortezza a massive 16th-century Venetian citadel towering over the city's Old Town on the rocky Paleokastro hill. Built between 1573 and 1580 to protect citizens from pirate raids, it is the largest Venetian castle in Crete. Near to the fortezza's main arched entrance (Eastern Central Gate) is the Archaeological Museum which until the1970's was Rethymno's Jail.もっと詳しく

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  • If Only.......
    The Bar AreaA bedroom door with a view.

    Where are we and what is there????

    5月18日, ギリシャ ☁️ 20 °C

    After a night of tossing and turning we are on the first proper day of our holiday and today's objective ........ relaxation, after of course the usual 1st day turmoil of where is everything. 

    After stepping out of our door and turning right ↪️ we could see people sitting having breakfast on the verandah over looking the swimming pool. Wow there is plenty of choice and that's before you look at the menu card for the specials.

    After breakfast we walked 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️ to the lobby to find out more about the hotel 🏨 and what it has to offer. 

    Afterwards,  we decided to explore the hotel and its grounds and the first thing we noticed is there is no need for any sunbed wars as the hotel lays out all the rolled up towels and even now at 10:00 there are hardly any guests out sunbathing.
    As lunchtime came we found a nice quiet spot overlooking the Aegean Sea and had our first holiday beer 🍺🍺 and a bowl of complimentary crisps. We were so relaxed we stayed for another and pleasantly surprised when told our 2nd round was on the house.
    After changing we headed back to the breakfast restaurant for our evening meal, which was an assorted buffet and delicious. After which we still managed to catch the 8:00 pm sunset. As darkness set, the lights came on and the evening entertainment of a musical duo began.    もっと詳しく

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  • If Only.......

    In Search of the Sunshine

    5月17日, イングランド ☁️ 13 °C

    By 10:45 we are packed, cases are locked and by the door waiting for our taxi .
    11:10 our all electric Lexus taxi arrives silently outside, bags 🧳🧳 loaded and we are off.
    12:20 we are out of the taxi 🚕 and heading to the Jet2 check-in desk at Manchester Airport. Bags labelled and dispatched and by 12:40 we (well I am) through security and now waiting for "dodgy" looking Jayne to clear security 👮
    13:50 and it's starting to rain but hey who cares Jayne and I are off to the sunshine, and by 16:15 we are on board our Airbus A321 waiting to go. An hour later and we are finally 🛫 in the air and bound for Crete arriving in Heraklion just under 4 hours later. Through passport control with just a small queue. Greece 🇬🇷 have suspended using the latest digital technology of photo and finger prints 🫆 in favour of a human checking that your face matches your passport photograph. Within 40 minutes we have collected our luggage 🧳 🧳 and now search for our driver amongst the many holding names in the Arrivals Hall. Only he isn't here????? After a frantic 30 minutes including desperate phone calls 📞 to the hotel 🏨 and If Only in the UK 🇬🇧 our driver arrives 🚗.
    70 minutes later we are received to be walking into our home for the next 7 nights and greeted with sandwiches 🥪, cake 🎂, fruit, champagne 🍾 and a lovely congratulations on your wedding anniversary card 🎊 Oh and a room upgrade from a Junior Suite with a Sea View to a Caramel split level Maisonette with; as stated on the website, SPECIALS: Wooden staircase. We unpacked and got to bed 🛌 😴    もっと詳しく

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  • (No)Sunshine Break in Tenerife

    Packed and Homeward Bound 🇬🇧

    3月24日, スペイン ☁️ 17 °C

    We woke up to sunshine this morning which can only mean we are going home today!! After a final lazy breakfast we packed our last few items and locked the cases. We went for a final walk discussing how few clothes we had worn after living in jeans 👖 and shirts 👕 the whole week. Honestly we would have worn more clothes on a naturist holiday 🍃 🤔🤣. We traded our towels in for tokens in order to get our €20 deposit back. As 12 o'clock and check out time approached we stored our suitcases 🧳 🧳 and headed into the My Favourite Club lounge and we watched other holidaymakers packing up their towels and books before .... yes! Once again the heavens opened 🌧 🌦 🌂
    Just an journey later we were stood outside on the wet pavement waiting for the 🚌 to take us back to the airport 🛫
    13:10 we are sat on the bus and after a couple of more pick-ups we are on our way to the airport, arriving 50 minutes later. We had heard about long delays at Tenerife's airport but fortunately these delays had been sorted and just 15 minutes later we were sat drinking coffee and eating a sandwich 🥪 in the departures lounge. By 3pm we had joined the queue to go through passport control and where a jobs worth Spanish "lady" wearing a uniform decided to shout at me for taking a photograph and pointed out the small no photo sign on the white column about 15 yards away. I wish I'd brought my binoculars or a telescope 🔭 with me... I might have seen 👀 it 🤔 😳 then!! Just as soon as we had cleared passport control we went to the departures gate onto the bus 🚌 and by 16:20 we were sat on the aircraft. 40 minutes later we were rolling back and taxiing to the queue for take off. 5 minutes later we were up and away heading home 🏡 arriving in Manchester at 21:35. Bags collected and waiting for our taxi 🚕 to arrive at the pick up spot by 22:40, arriving home 10 minutes before midnight 😴    もっと詳しく

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  • (No)Sunshine Break in Tenerife

    Just another (weather) manic Monday

    3月23日, スペイン ☀️ 17 °C

    Another cool and cloudy ⛅️ day, this morning our post breakfast walk we decided to head down towards the beach ⛱️ and the marina; an area we haven't previously explored ...... not that there was a lot to see apart from tourists heading out on boat trips.
    Later, we headed back up to the La Calleta area of Adeje to see if my shirt had arrived. But before that we stopped off for a coffee which then extended into a beer 🍺, and cheese toastie with chips 🍟 😋 😋. Arriving back at the hotel we paid the deposit for a couple of pool towels; 1st time of the holiday and we grabbed a couple of vacant sunbeds before the sun went in and the temperature went down 🌡and we have another downpour 🌧    もっと詳しく

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  • (No)Sunshine Break in Tenerife
    1

    Sunday Stroll

    3月22日, スペイン 🌧 17 °C

    After breakfast and during a break in the rain 🌧 showers, we decided to head back up towards the quieter and nicer part of Adeje that we had found yesterday, as there was no rain forecast until later in the day. As the sun was out we kept stopping to bask in the sunshine 🌞 and listen to the waves 🌊 crashing against the shore. We stumbled across a lovely little hidey-hole with a couple of shops, a cafe, restaurant and a quiet courtyard. After sheltering from a sudden downpour under a palm 🌴 tree we carried on walking 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️ to another little corner shopping centre that we had walked past whilst the sun was shining. This proved to be an expensive stop as Jayne bought a dress 👗 I bought a shirt 👕 and ordered another one that would arrive tomorrow 🛍. As the sun was out once again we made our way back to the hotel to grab a few precious sunrays before we headed out for our dinner 🍽 reservation.
    We arrived earlier than our allocated time but were still shown to our table within the Restaurant Amalfi. Despite not able to get a table along the side with a lovely view we ordered drinks and Bruschetta Capri (tomato, mozzarella, ham & mushrooms). After devouring our starter, the main courses arrived; Penne Corleone (mushrooms, fillet steak in a red wine sauce) for me, whilst Jayne went for the Tagliatellie. As the sun went down we both enjoyed a delicious Irish Coffee before leaving along with the sun.    もっと詳しく

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  • (No)Sunshine Break in Tenerife

    When Saturday Comes ⚽️

    3月21日, スペイン 🌧 17 °C

    At breakfast this morning we were treated to a torrential downpour, which also found numerous gaps and holes 🕳 in the structure of the hotel 🏨. This meant a number of areas were cordoned off with towels, buckets 🪣 and large sponges 🧽 lying around trying to soak the water up!!. Then just as quickly as the downpour started, it stopped and the sun came out. Venturing out one of thevfirst things we saw were cows 🐄 with umbrellas 🌂...... I kid you not!!
    We carried on walking 🚶‍♀️ 🚶‍♂️ to Playa de Fanabe where the waves continued to pound along the coast, before stopping for a lovely coffee ☕️ at a more upmarket shopping centre Plaza del Duque and all it's Designer Shop's. Fortunately, we couldn't stop long as Blackpool were playing Cardiff City in a 12:30 kick off football match so we HAD to make our way back to the hotel. As look would have it, the sun came out again as the football ⚽️ started making it very hard to see 👀 the game on my phone 📲 screen. No matter where I sat all I could see was a dark screen so I had to go inside ..... on the nicest day yet of our holiday!!    もっと詳しく

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  • (No)Sunshine Break in Tenerife

    The rain ☔️☔️ in Spain doesn't stay....

    3月20日, スペイン 🌧 18 °C

    .......... mainly on the plain ........ it's flaming every where.

    So what to do when it's raining... answer go shopping 🛍 . After breakfast we set off on a walk with no real destination in mind and as the clouds slowly went darker we decided to carry on and continue the 30 minute walk to the Siam Mall on the outskirts of Adeje. Unfortunately, unlike our Shopping Malls this one is open air with some covering. As the advert says "Designed to take advantage of Tenerife's year-round great weather, (🤣🤣☔️🌀🌬🌫☔️) SIAM MALL is filled with green areas, open plazas, and fountains to enhance the relaxed atmosphere." The mall’s Thai-inspired theme includes authentic statues and decorations crafted in Thailand.
    Although, in our humble opinion some of the fashion items were more of a niche market unless ripped and stained trousers 👖 were your idea of a must have fashion item!!
    Later that day we set off to look for a recommended restaurant, we found it with more than a little difficulty as it was only small and located down what can only be described as an alleyway. Unfortunately, as we hadn't booked the only available seating was outside BUT tha waiter assured us it wasn't going to rain. Not only did it not rain we also enjoyed our Tapas in (or outside) a restaurant we wouldn't have looked twice at to be honest.    もっと詳しく

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  • (No)Sunshine Break in Tenerife
    1

    Adeje

    3月19日, スペイン 🌧 14 °C

    Woke up this morning and looked out of the window 🪟 and thought I was back in England. It was very windy with torrential rain - then I said to myself don't be stupid Keith 🤔 ......... the weather in England is far better than this!!!!
    So, after a more than leisurely breakfast we headed up to the "My Favourite Club" for a decent'ish cup of coffee ☕️ or 3 where we chatted with a nice similar aged couple, of football following Welsh fans from Cardiff. Hopefully they will be a little despondent on Saturday afternoon after Cardiff City have been beaten by the mighty Tangerines 🍊 from Blackpool 🙏🙏🤞😄⚽️
    Booked our free 1 hour session in the hotel spa for this afternoon, but we will happily forego it if the sun decides to come and visit us 😀 🤞
    The Spa wasn't great tepid water in the pool, and packed Sauna and a steam room we didn't venture in we only stayed 20 minutes!!
    Fortunately the weather dried up .... well it stopped raining and we decided to walk out the hotel and see where looked promising for our evening meal. Looking first a nice cafe/bar we stopped off at the Dreams Hotel Jardin Tropical where we settled for a lovely relaxing drink in lovely 5 star surroundings. Some 90 minutes later we left stopping off at Harley's an American Diner for something to eat; ribs for me and Chicken 🐔 for Jayne, before heading back to our hotel 🏨, and arriving before the wind and rain!!    もっと詳しく

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  • (No)Sunshine Break in Tenerife

    On Alert but Getting Our Bearings

    3月18日, スペイン ☁️ 17 °C

    Woke up this morning to the headlines that from today, Tenerife is on high alert waiting for the anticipated visit from Storm Therese. With recommendations from the authorities to stay indoors during periods of Strong Winds; 100 km/hour and Heavy Rain. But hey the sun is shining through small gaps in the clouds so this intrepid penguin 🐧 and his mate decided to venture out while the weather allowed. We walked 🚶‍♀️ first up the coast to Playa del Duque where we sat watching 👀 and listening to the waves crashing against the rocky shoreline whilst we bathed for a few minutes in glorious sunshine 🌞. Thinking here we are in the nice warm sun wearing tee-shirts and jeans 👖 let's go back to the hotel 🏨 and change into shorts. We arrived back just before the black clouds, so after some light refreshments we decided to venture out in the opposite direction towards Playa de Las Americas and the H10 hotel Conquistador where my mum loved to stay when she holidayed here in Tenerife. We thought it would be nice to visit and have a drink in its bar in memory of my mum ✋️ but the doorman wouldn't let us in as it is a hotel that only welcomes guests that are staying there!! So we walked across the road and went clothes shopping 🛍. Enjoying a nice leisurely stroll home when the rain started and we upped our pace so that when we reached the hotel 🏨 we weren't too drenched. After a little rest along with a coffee ☕️ etc we walked through 100 yards to the corner of the street to the Restaurant Hawai where we both settled for the Grilled fish; Salmon for Jayne and Sea Bass for me, both with vegetables and Canarian potatoes 🥔 😋.もっと詳しく

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  • (No)Sunshine Break in Tenerife

    Jetting off to the Sunshine 🛫

    3月17日, イングランド ☁️ 10 °C

    Early'ish start with a taxi 🚕 pick up at 05:45 in the morning. Less than 2 hours later we have dropped our bags 🎒 off cleared passport control and sat in the restaurant San Carlo waiting for our breakfast. By 9:00 we are at the departures gate waiting for our Airbus A321 Jet2 flight ✈️ to Tenerife. 10:17 and the wheels 🛞 are up and we are on our way..... 14:26 and we have our 1st glimpse of Tenerife and Mount Teide looking out over the clouds ⛅️. 15:39 we have cleared immigration, have our bags and waiting in the car park for our bus to turn up and transfer us to our hotel in Costa Adje. 25 minutes later we are finally on our way for an interesting transfer to our hotel stopping off at numerous hotels on the way where on one occasion no-one got off!!!
    Driving through the various resorts of Playa Los Cristianos, Playa de Las Americas and finally into Costa Adeje we came across numerous Irish bars all full of people dresses in green celebrating March 17th and St. Patrick's Day. Virtually 12 hours after leaving home we are entering our bedroom within it's own private corridor!! After unpacking we headed across the road to a restaurant called Amanda's for a pizza 🍕 and a beer 🍺 and watch a bit of football along with the resident cabaret act!!    もっと詳しく

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