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ENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDEN
  • Gail Woodward
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  • Gail Woodward

ENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDEN

An open-ended adventure by Gail Read more
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    🇳🇴 Kleppe, Norway
    Gail WoodwardENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDENGail Woodward

    Ortigia Island, Syracuse, Sicily

    May 9–10 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Traveling to Syracuse by train from Scaletta Zanclea, we enjoyed an overnight stay on the Island Ortigia which connects to the mainland via a series of bridges. Ortigia is the historical centre of Syracuse and holds many of the city's oldest landmarks. It houses Jewish and Arab/Spanish Quarters reflecting the influence of each culture and is the birth and death place of Archimedes.
    The Baroque-style façade of the Cathedral of Syracuse (il duomo) is a real highlight and undoubtedly the most beautiful church we've seen in Sicily. It's structure is originally a Greek temple (Doric order) and therefore it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
    The Temple of Apollo is one of the most important ancient Greek monuments in the Greek speaking area of southern Italy. We stayed near the Piazza Archimedes which features an impressive fountain, cafes and general meeting place.
    The harbour offers boats, of varying sizes, protection and a few beach areas for those brave enough to swim in the cold water. The Fonte Aretusa promenade is the seafront promenade, where we sat to enjoy a sunset cocktail.
    The Fountain of Arethusa is a natural fresh water spring in Ortigia, located right beside the port. At the far end of the island is a citadel and castle, Castello Maniace, dating back to the 13th century. We also saw the oldest Catholic church in Sicily, built in 326AD.    Read more

  • Gail WoodwardENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDENGail Woodward

    Valley of the Temples, Agrigento, Sicily

    May 7 in Italy ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    On our way back to the Villa from Palermo, we stopped for several hours at the Valley of the Temples Archaeological and Landscape Park, located in Agrigento.
    It is an impressive and expansive collection of both man-made Hellenic Architecture and natural landscapes. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it houses the temples of the gods and a Necropalis area.

    The Temple of the Dioscuri - now has only four columns and has become the symbol of the city of Agrigento.
    The Temple of Olympian Zeus (Jupiter)
    The Temple of Concordia - built around the 5th century;
    Statue of Icarus
    The Temple of Heracles (Hercules) - the oldest Temple, housing a bronze Statue of Hercules. The Temple, destroyed by war and probable earthquake, retains 8 of its 38 original columns.
    The Temple of Aesculapius - a place of pilgrimage for the sick;
    Tomb of Theron
    The Temple of Vulcan - dating back to the 5th century;
    The Temple of Juno - housed the cult of the goddess of fertility;    Read more

  • Gail WoodwardENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDENGail Woodward

    Palermo, Sicily

    May 6–7 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We spent the night at Palermo, which was another hour and a half by bus on from Cefalù.
    Palermo is the capital of Sicily. It has a huge neoclassical Teatro Massimo used for opera performances, as well as 12th century Cathedral and royal palace - the Palazzo dei Normanni, in the city centre. We walked to the Quattro Canti, officially known as Piazza Vigliena, which is a Baroque square in the center of the historic quarters of the city. We saw street markets and had dinner on the rooftop of the Hotel Ambasciatori. The weather was warm and we could see the lights of the greater city area twinkling on the hills nearby. It was magical!Read more

  • Gail WoodwardENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDENGail Woodward

    Cefalù, Sicily

    May 6 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    This morning we packed our overnight bags and hopped on board a charter bus bound for Palermo. We made a couple of stops along the way. Some of the group shopped at an outlet, while the rest of us found coffee and fresh baked goods in Olivarella-Corriolo. Driving on we arrived in Cefalù for lunch and a wander around.
    Cefalù is in the northern part of Sicily approximatelt 3 hours from Messina. It is a coastal city with a 12th century Norman cathedral, with twin towers.    Read more

  • Gail WoodwardENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDENGail Woodward

    Taormina, Sicily

    May 4 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Today we caught the train to Taormina. Taormina is a hilltop town on the coast of Sicily. It is located not far from Mr Etna and is known for its ancient Greco-Roman amphitheatre which is still used today. It has coves with sandy beaches, making it a popular tourist destination. We spent the day wandering the street and enjoying the cafe/bar culture. On the afternoon we visited the Four Seasons hotel and enjoyed pre-dinner drinks before catching the train back to Scaletta Zanclea.Read more

  • Gail WoodwardENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDENGail Woodward

    Villa Hamalia (Cariddi) Sicily

    May 2–12 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Flying out of Naples, we arrived in Catania, Sicily, then headed to the Villa arriving late afternoon. We had our first glimpse of Mt Etna, still snowcapped, as we headed towards Taormina and onto our accommodation.There were 14 of us in total, with 2 more to arrive the following day.
    The Villa is set high on the cliffs above Scaletta Zanclea. It is a 3 a storey home with a large outside entertainment area, perfectly suited to host weddings. It was a fun first night as platters of food were created and sundowners consumed overlooking the Ionian Sea. We could see the lights of mainland Italy from the deck. Amazing!!    Read more

  • Gail WoodwardENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDENGail Woodward

    Marì Cooking Class in a Farmhouse

    May 1 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Today we joined a couple from Portsmouth, England and joined Marì for a Farmhouse Cooking class. She has an incredible view on the Sorrento Coast and we cooked a 4 course luncheon together. Marì served us Bruschetta on arrival with prosecco and then we made our dessert, Caprese Cake, followed by Fried Calzoni, Ravioli Caprese, Lemon Meatballs and a Eggplant Boat dish. At the end Mari have us a copy of all the recipes and a little gift. 🎁 She shared her family's cooking experience in addition to her home made olive oil, red wine, limoncello, free range eggs and tomato sauce as well as fresh produce picked from the garden. Marì was a generous person and a talented chef. We look forward to reproducing the recipes.Read more

  • Gail WoodwardENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDENGail Woodward

    Sorrento to Amalfi Coast

    April 30 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Today we were collected by our small tour group, (8 plus the driver, Claude), from Sorrentomaxitours. Claude drove us along the Amalfi Coastline, stopping in Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, Praiano in addition to a boat ride out of Amalfi and an olive oil tasting. It was a full day and both scenic and interesting.Read more

  • Gail WoodwardENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDENGail Woodward
    2

    Sorrento to Pompeii

    April 29 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    After breakfast, we walked to the historic part of Sorrento. We decided to spend the afternoon in Pompeii at the Archaeological Park and Museum. In 79 AD, the city was buried under volcanic ash from Mt Vesuvius. The ash helped preserve the structures, frescoes and shapes of some of the inhabitants. The park is enormous and although we spent 3 hours there, we didn't have time to see it all.Read more

  • Gail WoodwardENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDENGail Woodward

    Sorrento, Italy

    Apr 28–May 2 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    After flying into Naples, we caught the train to Sorrento arriving at the Grand Hotel Ambasciatori in time to watch the sunset over the bay, Gulf of Naples.

  • Gail WoodwardENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDENGail Woodward

    London Day 4 & 5

    April 26 in England ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    This morning I rang to check in on family at home after breakfast and then we headed towards the Sherlock Holmes museum on Baker St. Due to time constraints though, we ended up in the Beatles Shop next door to the museum instead, as we had tickets booked for a tour of Lord's Cricket Grounds and Museum, and we didn't want to be late. The tour of Lord's took a couple of hours and it was very informative and most enjoyable with our host sharing many personal stories of the establishment and its members, players and visitors. Moving on, we headed to the Phoenix Theatre in West End for the late afternoon session of "Stranger Things:The First Shadow" stage play. Making our way home, we had a lovely French meal at Côte Brasserie in Kensington, closer to our accommodation in Hyde Park. A long, and enjoyable day.
    Day 5 was a relaxing day with lunch in Kensington Gardens, a walk around the duck ponds and a cooked afternoon and evening. Off to Naples tomorrow with an early start to get to the international airport.    Read more

  • Gail WoodwardENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDENGail Woodward

    London Day 3

    April 25 in England ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    On our third day in London, we travelled to Buckingham Palace. I had not revisited the Palace since the 1990's and thought I'd like to refresh my memory. The parks and gardens were colourful and the squirrels darted this way and that. The London Marathon was on this weekend so the Mini-marathon (mainly children running however some adults took part) was taking place today with the main event scheduled for tomorrow. From the Palace we walked past The Ritz and then onto Harrods where we enjoyed a delicious ramen lunch and some "window shopping"... given how exclusive the prices were and our motivation to purchase was low. Hamley's Toy Store was on our radar, where we found our shopping mojo and picked up toys for both the big kids and small kids in the family. All shopped out, we headed back towards our accommodation and ended the night with a pub meal at the local.Read more

  • Gail WoodwardENGLAND, ITALY, NORWAY&SWEDENGail Woodward
    University College of LondonVictoria and Albert Museum

    Townsville to London, Days 1&2

    Apr 23–28 in England ⋅ 🌙 7 °C

    Arriving early into London, is always exciting with Spring weather at this time of the year is brisk with single figures overnight and early morning. London's gardens are beginning to burst with colour and the parks are busy with runners, dogwalkers and families. The temperature highs are around the 19-21 degrees. Feeling refreshed on arrival, we spent the first day on the tube visiting UCL (University College of London) and parts of the British Museum before checking in at The Grand Royale Hotel, Hyde Park. We stayed awake as long as we could then finally fell asleep.
    We begin each day with breakfast at Les Filles Cafe, which has a great menu and coffee made the way we like it. ☕️ Day 2, our plan was to explore parts of the Victoria and Albert Museum on Cromwell Rd, and on arrival we joined a tour which focused on Vivian Leigh, film and photography. Following the tour we headed off solo to the many different sections and floors until we reached our saturation point. In the evening we saw "The Play that Goes Wrong" at the Duchess Theatre (a small theatre in the West End). It is a comedy based on an amateur theatre group's performance of their annual play which goes awry.    Read more

    Trip start
    April 24, 2026
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