Planes, Airports and Lounges

"Travel far enough, you meet yourself." David Mitchell
Today, D'Arcy and I spend the day (and night) travelling to London. Townsville - Brisbane - Singapore - London. This is one of our retirementRead more
Grand Royale, Hyde Park, London

Our first accommodation of the trip is the Grand Royale, Hyde Park in London. With its Edwardian heritage (commissioned by Edward VII), we were delighted at the intimate common areas and the grandeurRead more
Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace

Arriving early into London we took the Heathrow Express from the airport to Paddington Station, then a taxi to drop off our bags at our accommodation, Grand Royale Hyde Park (adjacent to Hyde Park andRead more
Hop-on, hop-off Big Bus tour of London

We had such beautiful weather today with mostly clear skies and temperatures up to 20 degrees. After coffee at Les Fille Cafe and breakfast at our accommodation, the day was mostly spent sightseeingRead more
The War of The Worlds & Just For One Day

Back to Les Fille for coffee and breakfast this morning, then onto the train from Bayswater to Aldgate, where the performance is located in Leadenhall St.
Based on HG Wells The War of The WorldsRead more
Chelsea Flower Show, London

We spent the morning at the Chelsea Flower Show admiring garden designs and floral arrangements and inhaling the fragrances of so many stunning flowers. 💐
OXO Restaurant & Sunset over the Thames

Tonight, we met up with Richard and Penny, Haydn's first cousin on his dad's side. Richard commutes to London for work, 4 days a week, and Penny travelled in from Beaconsfield. We ate at the OXORead more
A Night at the Theatre

This evening, we went to the Wyndhams Theatre on Charing Cross Road in London to watch the play "My Master Builder" starring Ewen Macgregor and Australian Elizabeth Debicki. We really enjoyed theRead more
Travel - Leicester & The Wood Norton

Today was a travel day. We left London and caught the train to Leicester, where we were met by Craig and Estelle, Haydn's first cousin on his mum's side. After picking up the hire car and having lunchRead more
Evesham, Stonehenge & Bath

Driving from our accommodation, near Evesham, we passed through the greenery of the Cotswolds to head towards Stonehenge after we called into Evesham for coffee.
Stonehenge, located on SalisburyRead more
Wales: Monmouth, Barry and Lampeter

Today was the day I was expecting to reconnect with several of Haydn's family in Wales, after many years, the annual Christmas card and Facebook posts.
Our first stop was Monmouth to meet up forRead more
Falcondale, Lampeter, Ceredigion Wales

The Falcondale is an Italian styled, Victorian county house, overlooking a valley and surrounded by woodlands and green fields. It has many ornate common rooms to sit and enjoy the house and views.Read more
The Pembroke Peninsula, Wales.

Driving down to Fishguard, we went through parts of Cardigan, surrounded by lush green and leafy, narrow roads. Our plan was to explore a bit of the Pembroke Peninsula. It was a cool, drizzly day andRead more
Pembroke Peninsula North to Holyhead

This morning, we left The Falcondale house and drove along the Pembroke Peninsula north to Holyhead to catch the ferry to Ireland. 🍀 The weather varied from overcast, drizzly, foggy, windy to sunnyRead more
Dublin, Ireland

The Irish Hotel Rui Plaza,The Gresham is located centrally on O'Connell St. Day 1, we jumped on a DoDublin city bus tour and visited the central sites, including St Stephen's Gardens, Irish Stew atRead more
Powerscourt House & Gardens, Wicklow

Set on 47 acres, in the Wicklow countryside and overlooking the Sugarloaf Mountain, is this stunning Powerscourt house and gardens. It has been home to only 2 families in 400 years. Today, the estateRead more
Lyrath Estate Hotel, Kilkenny

In Kilkenny, we stayed in one of the original rooms of the historic 17th century house, Lyrath Estate Hotel. It also has a modern extension with a combined total of 141 rooms, several bars andRead more
Kilkenny Castle and Parklands, Kilkenny

Kilkenny Castle is a landmark in the city of Kilkenny, Kilkenny County Ireland. It was founded soon after the Norman conquest of Ireland, and had to be rebuilt due to fire and damage from Cromwell'sRead more
Rock of Cashel, Cashel, Tipperary

The Rock of Cashel first came to prominence as a centre of power in the late 4th or early 5th century AD.
The round tower is the oldest surviving building on the Rock and may date to 1101 when theRead more
Killarney Plaza Hotel, Killarney

Killarney is a town on the shores of Lough Leane in southwest Ireland’s County Kerry. It is in an ideal position on the Ring of Kerry scenic drive and a popular destination for golfers. We stayedRead more
Blarney Castle and Stone, Blarney, Cork

From Kilkenny to Killarney, we drove to Blarney in County Cork to see Blarney Castle and Gardens and, of course, to kiss the Blarney Stone. 💋Fable has it that if you kiss the Blarney Stone, youRead more
Ring of Kerry, County Kerry

Today, we put aside the day to drive and explore the places, on and around the 179klm road circuit, incorporating parts of the Iveragh Peninsula, known as the Ring of Kerry. With its impressiveRead more
Dingle Peninsula, Dingle, County Kerry

Dingle is a small coastal town situated on the Dingle Peninsula, in the southwest of Ireland. Today, we drove from Killarney to Inch Beach, Slea Head, and onto Dingle before driving further along theRead more
Cliffs of Moher, County Clare, Ireland

On our drive from Killarney to Galway, we visited the Cliffs of Moher. They are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, and they run for about 14 kilometresRead more
The Hardiman Hotel, Galway

The Hardiman Hotel, built in 1852, Galway is our base for the next three days. On our way to Galway, we continued to explore parts of the Wild Atlantic Way and visited the Cliffs of Moher and theRead more