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Lou and Col
Lou and Col

Lou and Col

traveled in 8 countries Read more
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  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler

    Saturday - On the way home

    July 7, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Out of the room by 10 am. Bus to Heathrow is at 3:20 pm so filled in time by a final walk around Cambridge and a morning tea at Bill's Cafe.
    Dragged our bags down to the bus depot about 1.5km. Bus trip to Heathrow was quick as England is playing in world cup and no cars on road.
    Boarded plane on time, but sat on tarmac for an hour waiting for tower clearance. Just what you need before a 13 hour flight!
    Flight was not the best, very noisy air conditioning, blowing too cold, minor turbulance almost all the way.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler
    Mathematical Bridge
    Queens CollegeBy the CamThe Cam

    Friday - Last Day

    July 6, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Walked the other way down the Cam after breakfast. The colleges are all having student open days and we were able to get into Queens College to have a look around. Queens is a big college with the Cam running through it. It looks like it would be a good college to be at. The library was open to visitors and we were able to get into the old books area. The display was amazing.
    We continued on up the Cam a bit further and this time we found a pub with decent coffee and a shady spot to while away an our or so.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler

    Thursday - More Cambridge

    July 5, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Started the day at the Round Church across the road from the college. The church is a rare and old example of a church in the round (hence its name!). Inside was an informative display showing Cambridge's relevance to western history over the last 2k years.
    After we went for a pleasant walk along the Cam to an area we had not seen where Lou and Damian managed to find a pub serving very bad coffee.
    Back in town, lunch was at Bill's cafe which was pretty good. This was followed by a bit of retail therapy.
    In the evening we attended Evensong at St John's Chapel. We were treated to a magnificent choral performance by the combined choirs of St John's and Kings Colleges. Quite a treat for us and the over capacity crowd that attended.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler

    Wednesday - Fitzwilliams

    July 4, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    After breakfast we headed off up the road to visit the Fitzwiliam Museum. On the way we noticed a couple of colleges open to the public so we called into Gonville and Cauis and Pembroke. Notable alumni of Pembroke include Clive James, Peter Cook, Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor. So it would have been a fun time there!
    After stopping for a bite we arrived at the Fitzwilliam Museum. The museum houses the universities arts and antiquities collection. It was originally a bequest from the 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam in the early 19th c. Well worth a couple of hours, particularly the french impressionist paintings.
    In the evening we visited the botanical gardens where there was a summer concert being held. The brass band ensemble playing was ok but could not hold our interest for too long so we left and found a Thai for tea.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler

    Tuesday - Bus trip to Ely

    July 3, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Another bright and sunny day arrived. What ever happened to the cold and damp England we all know so well!!
    Today we set off on a day trip to see the Ely Cathedral. The local bus took about an hour. We noticed along the way how everything had browned off with the heat. What was green is now brown.
    At the cathedral we went on a tour included in the admission price. The guide was a bit of a bore but we did get an overview of sorts. Lunch in the Almondry Cafe followed and was very pleasant. In the arvo we went back to the cathedral where Damian did a tower climb tour while we visited the stained glass museum.
    Back at Cambridge, dinner was a M&S microwave special, actually quite good for the price.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler

    Monday - A Cambridge Walk

    July 2, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We started our first day with breakfast at the Buttery Dining room. Quite a good spread of hot and cold choices.
    Our exploration of Cambridge BEGAN with a guided tour. We managed to get into a small group of only 7 and our guide Manuel was able to give us a good introduction into the history of the University.
    The highlight was a visit to Kings College Chapel. The fan vaulting and large stained glass windows are quite awe inspiring.
    After the walk we took our M&S lunch down to the edge of the Cam and sat on the grass watching the punters on the river.
    Later we had dinner at the Eagle Pub. This was the hangout of Watson and Crick, the discoverers of DNA.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler
    Punting on The Meadows
    The MeadowsView from Window St John's

    Sunday - St Johns College Cambridge

    July 1, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Left the cottage about 10:30 to drive into Cambridge. As we were planning to pick Damian up at the station at 2 pm we had a few hours to fill in so headed to Grantchester. On the way we saw a sign for a car boot sale so called in for a look. The sale was on a farm property which also had a farm shop as well as a little group of other shops. The car boot sale was just household junk. The farmshop was a bit more interesting and we grabbed a coffee and some lunch. Continuing on to Grantchester we parked and walked down to the meadows and sat on the edge of the Cam for lunch. On the way back we called into the Orchard which is famous as the haunt of intellectuals such as Rupert Brookes, Bertrand Russell and Virginia Wolff.They would often sit under the apple trees in the orchard and philosophise on the ways of the world. As we were leaving, Damian rang to say his train was late. We decided to head into Cambridge and book into the college. This we managed without any dramas. Entering the college grounds and seeing the old buildings for the first time was quite an experience. Our room is a two bedroom students room on the 4th floor up a creaky wooden staircase.
    We dropped our bags then returned the car to Enterprise. We taxi shared back into town and then walked back the last bit to the college. Damian rang to say he had arrived and was in his room just as we got back.
    After meeting up and settling in with a drink at the Buttery Bar, we went for a stroll and dinner at a nearby restaurant.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler

    Wallis Farmstay Hardwick

    June 30, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Today we went for a drive around the local area. The countryside is fairly flat and mainly farmland with villages fairly close together. The closer one gets to Cambridge the more suburban they get. Found a nice little village shop for lunch. Across the road was an old church so we went for a quick look. Inside was a man playing the organ which added a bit of mood to the experience.
    Drove back through Grantchester (of TV fame). It looked quite interesting so we resolved to visit again in the morning on our way into Cambridge.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler
    Oakham Castle Hall
    Horseshoes in Castle Hall OakhamExton ChurchCows at Rexton

    Heading to Cambridge

    June 29, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Packed up and headed off to Cambridge this morning. We have a 2 night stay outside Cambridge before meeting Damian at St John's College on Sunday. We decided to take a less direct route which took us through Rutland ( the smallest county in England) We headed for Rutland Water which is a huge man made lake. The village of Hambleton sits on a peninsular which juts into the lake and is mainly farming land. Hambleton itself is a very gentrified town where Noel Coward wrote Haywire, one of his big theatre hits. Apparently, the town was the scene of many weekend parties for the set and various aristocratic types. Speaking of which nearby is the home of the Earl of Gainsborough at Exton Hall. The house isn't open to the public but the whole village of Exton is part of the estate and is such a pretty place. The church is also set on the estate and can only be accessed down a walking lane. We wandered down and had a good look around. Very pretty setting with a folly by a lake nearby and very brown cows in the foreground. It was great to see lots of sailing, nature reserves and bird watching activities in this area. We also stopped at a larger market town called Oakham where we had a delicious lunch at a healthfood cafe, and a delicious coffee at a roaster. Oakham was nice and we we were a bit sorry we weren't staying for a night or two. At the centre of Oakham are the remains of a small 12th century castle. The castle hall is still there. Inside the walls are covered in horseshoes that historically have been given to the local lord by visiting dignitaries as a tribute. Anyway, we continued to Hardwick just outside Cambridge to our " farmstay" We have a nice room with a kitchenette but it's nothing like a farm and not very rural. Must say after our wonderful scenic cottages to date we were disappointed. Just down the road though we went to a 17C pub called the Blue Lion and had a nice meal.Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler
    Stalkers Cottage

    Heatwave

    June 28, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Last night the Met officially called it a heat wave in the UK. The weather has been bright and sunny since we arrived in Staffordshire with temperatures in the mid 20s. The news is full of parboiled Brits at the seaside and with their feet in ponds. We are are quite enjoying the mild sunny days ourselves.
    Quiet day, washing clothes and preparing for our move to Cambridge tomorrow. Highlight of lunch at Denstone Farm Shop. There are quite a few of these farm shops around and as you would expect their quality varies. Generally though they're nicer than a regular town cafe. We've been trying to buy our eggs from the free range roadside stands. The best were in the Yorkshire Dales where we bought a dozen eggs, all huge and all double yokers. It was amazing and we'll no doubt be talking about it for years!! Very happy that Damian has arrived safely and is staying with his friend Ali in Maidenhead. On Sunday he's training up to Cambridge to meet us for the week.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler
    Leek Market Square
    Leek Market SquarePeak ViewsVillage in the ValleyMore Peak ViewsStone Walls

    Leek and the Peak District

    June 27, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Our day out today was a trip to Leek and around the Peak District
    Leek is a Market town that is interesting without being particularly exciting. Most of the buildings date from the 17th and 18th century. It was worth a two hour walk around.
    We then drove up through Blackshaw Moor into the Peak District National Park. Taking whatever backroads we could find we visited Longnor (a pretty little village), Flash (the highest village in England), Upper Hulme, and a number of other impossibly cute villages in unbelievably beautiful countryside. On the way home we stopped at the Manifold Inn in the Manifold Valley for a very nice dinner and a well earned drink.
    Continuing on we took a "short cut" that took us along a road that got narrower and narrower as we went along until we were eventually opening farm gates every 500m to get to the other end. Well worth the drive as the valley views were amazing.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler

    Missing Day

    June 26, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Just checked the blog and realised we had lost a day. Now what did we do that day?
    We have decided to stay another 3 nights at Stalkers cottage. It is so comfortable it is not worth leaving. Also the owners were very obliging and gave us the cottage for 40 pound a night.
    Our day was a quiet one, catching up on washing and lunch at Denstone Farm Shop.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler
    Old building, Bakewell
    Staffordshire cross with village idiotVery popular and pretty pub in Bakewell

    Derby and Bakewell

    June 25, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Had a few dramas returning our hire car but won't bore you! Happily set out for Bakewell after leaving Derby and we were planning on having a famous Bakewell Tart. Sadly, when we realised they were full of jam we changed our minds and set about a brief exploration of the town. Bakewell is another market town located on the River Derwent. (nothing to do with the lakes district though) It was a busy market day, people everywhere but a friendly vibe. Visited another ancient church with remnants of earlier buildings dating from the 9th century. The stones were etched with symbols including the ancient staffordshire knot which adorned what is left of a cross in the church grounds. Astonishing antiquities which really link you to the past and the people that lived in these parts, maybe some our forebears!! Homeward bound through lovely farmland we spotted a dairy which used raw milk. Col had an icecream and me a delicious coffee. You could really taste the difference. Final stop was Ashborne, a pretty place with a Sainburys. Home with our stash of goodies and a pile of vegies and Cod for tea.Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler
    Beautiful Croxden Abbey

    Stalkers Day 3

    June 24, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Fantastic day today. We walked about a mile down the valley to Croxden Abbey and joined an open garden route around the tiny little hamlets of Great Gate and Croxden. We paid at St Giles church where we were given a cup of tea and cake before our arduous adventure. On we trudged through the prettiest gardens in the world.........and all around the abbey. The abbey is now located on the property of a large and prosperous farm whose garden was unfortunately not open. But we peeked over the stone wall and eden appeared before our eyes. So elegant, tranquil and simple. The colours of an English spring are so wonderful; purples, pinks yellows blues reds orange and every shade thereof. And the perfume as you walk along, even from the fields and hedges is so delightful. Staying in the countryside has really given us a sense of nature's bounty and the silence all around is very relaxing. The historical towns are exceptional but the rural landscapes are sublime. It was nice to talk to some of the gardeners too. Understandably, they're a relaxed lot.
    Dinner at the Raddle Inn. Better this time.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler
    Lonely Pensioner at Ramblers Rest
    Ramblers Rest GardenCharming young lady waiting for lunch

    Stalkers Day 2

    June 23, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Another big sleep in as we are still finding it hard to keep up the pace. We are trying to slow it all down a bit. Around lunch time we drove to the market town of Uttoxeter. There was a market in the main street selling local food and crafts.
    We then drove to an area where we were told there wa a famous cafe and walk. We stopped at the Ramblers Retreat for lunch. Quite good.
    After lunch we went on a scenic walk from the cafe. Unfortunately we found we can go the wrong way even when walking. When we got back from what was a very nice walk, we looked at the map and realised we had gone on a different walk to that intended. Hope we'll have time to do the "actual" walk later on.
    On the way back we stopped at the town of Alton where there was a beer festival and market in the main street. There was another Pugin church here which was very beautiful and less decorative than the one in Cheadle. The priest there is Vietnamese and he told us how his family had escaped Vietnam in the 80's. Couldn't help thinking what a huge change in his circumstances and how life had evolved it's course for him. The church, monastery and castle are now owned by the church and the castle is used to accommodate disadvantage kids for holiday respite. All good and interesting stuff!    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler
    Inside Pugins Church at Cheadle

    Stalkers Cottage Day 1

    June 22, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Big sleep in after our long drive yesterday. Once we got going we drove to Cheadle to do a bit of shopping. While there we had a look at a church which is known as Pugin's Gem. Pugin is an architect who designed Big Ben and the interior of Westminster. The church was spectacularly colourful inside, quite different to most English churches. Afterwards we drove over to Alton where we went to a nice pub for a quiet drink in the sun. On the way home we found a local farmshop where we picked up some more supplies. Just down the road are the ruins of Croxden Abbey where we stopped for a quick look only (closing time)This is the Abbey we can see from our cottage and like Byland Abbey it was established by the Cistercian monks in the 12thC.Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler

    The Peak District

    June 21, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Packed our bags again for our move down to the Peak District. We have booked a cottage near Hollington in Staffordshire. Started the drive by picking up coffee and cakes in Hovingham then set off South.
    First part of the drive was mostly motorways but then we diverted through the Peak National Park. Stunning scenery again. Stopped for lunch in Buxton which is a spa town that once had pretensions to rival Bath. Stopped to ask a lady who was filling up drinking bottles at a natural spring about the water quality and she said it was the best. Unfortunately, we didn't have our drinking bottles with us so we'll never know!
    Arrived at the cottage about 4pm. We are in a little hamlet with about 6 houses and a pub. Cottage is well presented and comfortable with great views over the fields which includes the ruins of an abbey about 1 mile away down the valley. Can't wait to explore. Had dinner at the Raddle Inn only a couple of hundred yards up the road. Food was interesting, huge servings, average quality.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler
    York Minster from Town Wall

    York

    June 19, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We were up early today to have a big day out in York. We drove to the Park and Ride and caught the bus into the centre as parking is difficult and expensive in the town. Bus dropped us off near York Minster.
    First impression was the entry into the walled city over the bridge and through the old roman gate. The Minster impressivelly dominated the end of the street where we alighted from the bus. Decided to walk the town walls and city centre before visiting the Cathedral. The town is quite quirky. The area called the Shambles is full of interesting old buildings (and tourists). We saw a small church right next to the cathedral and a plaque indicated it was where Guy Fawkes was baptised. After lunch we did a tour of the Minster. Our guide gave us a great insight into the architecture and history of the building. Before we left we walked through the gardens where we met some birds of prey being shown by a conservation group.
    Jumped back on the bus to get the car and home.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler

    Castle Howard

    June 18, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We spent an interesting afternoon at Castle Howard today. It's a very large pile belonging to the Howard family who despite many powerful forebears do not hold a title. From the outside it is similar to Blenheim Palace which is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Marlborough. That's where the similarities end. CH was partially destroyed by a big fire in the mid 20th century and the damaged rooms were essentially repaired by the makers of Brideshead Revisited on the condition they could use the sets and estate for making the film. Now these "false rooms" are still open to the public plus some real ones too; including a grand banqueting hall ( hired out for weddings etc) and chapel (over the top.....) The lands around the house are very extensive and lovely. There was also a quite interesting history of the family during the two wars. They lost a number of the sons in both wars and the woman of the family proved very good managers and community centred. The heir apparent had just married an American girl and the guide was keen to share the details of it all, including huge sums to fly Rod Stewart in for the reception. Ya gotta laugh...The best part was the walled rose garden. It was a picture and the climbing/rambling roses were particularly gorgeous. Actually, we have seen these climbing roses everywhere on our travels from little cottage entrances to the grandest formal gardens and they are equally beautiful everywhere. It was nice to return to our farmstay and normality.Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler

    Mass and Dairies

    June 17, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We got going early as Lou attended Mass at Ampleforth Abbey. Singing was superb and moving. The abbey is a Benedectine monastry and boarding school. Folliowing mass we walked into Ampleforth and had lunch at a nice cafe. Met a young guy on the path who had lived in Sydney. He had a very sweet cockerspaniel pup (Elvis) ? The dogs in this part seem to be spaniels mainly either gold and white or black and white. They are very well behaved generally as are most breeds we've seen.We then drove on to a dairy farm owned by the family of our cottage owners. They showed us their state of the art milking facility as well as new born calves and the whole farm operation. We were there most of the afternoon. On the way back we stopped for a beer and at the ruins of Byland Abbey. Another abbey destroyed by Cromwells Parliamentarian troops. Between Henry the 8th and him it's a wonder there are any liturgical sites left standing at all. York Minster was only just saved!!! Another story.Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler
    Cricket on the green
    Hovingham

    A Quiet day out

    June 16, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    A long sleep in this morning as we are both a bit weary from all the travelling. Early afternoon we drove over to the village of Hovingham. In the centre of the village is Hovingham Hall which was the childhood home of the Duchess of Kent. We took a guided tour and were lucky enough to be the only ones on the tour. The lady guide was very informative and seemed to enjoy being able to chat with us.
    Out the back of the hall is the oldest privately owned cricket ground in the UK, and there was a local cricket match on. Quintessential England!
    On walking into town we found the local bakery where Lou found a good coffee and we grabbed some pasties and cakes for tea.
    We then drove to Helmsley (a pleasant market town with a ridiculous number of tea shops) and the ruins of an ancient castle overlooking the village) On a second visit we went to the church and discovered a framed letter on the wall from David Livingston (I presume) thanking the local bishops wife for sending him a handmade mosquito net to Africa. Quite poignantly, he referred to the fact that he was returning to the lakes (I guess Lake Victoria of source of the Nile fame) the next day. Knowing that he ultimately died out there was sad. His writing was awful so suspect he was already very unwell. He had a sense of humour though and made a mosquito joke in the letter. The import of such a simple thing being available on the back wall of an obscure rural church was impressive on us and testimony to the English brilliance in record keeping from the obscure to the grandest of details.
    P.s. The pasties were yummy.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler
    Lou having tea with Wallace and Grommit
    Aysgarth Falls

    Wallace & Grommit

    June 15, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Moving on day has come around again and we are off to Sunset Cottages on a farm 19 miles from York. Taking the route through the Dales we came across the Wensleydale Cheese Factory and showrooms. In our stop there we were shown how to make cheese, watched it being made, tasted it, and bought some. Driving on we visited Aysgarth Falls and went for a nice walk to see them. Arrived at the new farmstay about 5. The owners, Richard and his wife Heather, were there to meet and greet us. They are both in there 80s but look pretty good for it. The cottage is in a converted barn and carriage store. The views from the rooms over the paddocks are quite special. Before dinner we walked up the road to check out the area. It looks lijke quite an upmarket and well to do farming area with some big estates around.Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler

    Sizergh Castle

    June 14, 2018 in England ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    Overnight and in the morning we were hit with a big storm with winds up to 60 mph. We battened down the hatches and stayed in until midday. Things eased off a bit later so we went and picked up Raelene for a visit to Sizergh Castle. The castle is really a large manor house located in a lovely spot with nice gardens and a farm shop just down the road. We all took our time reading about the family history (Strickland) and the various artworks and furniture acquired over the centuries. Interestingly, Katherine Parr lived there for a while and a more recent forebear Gerald Strickland was the Governor of WA, NSW and TAS at various times around the turn of the century. We noticed some authentic boomerangs, a kookaburra and some other Aboriginal artifacts in the foyer as we entered which made us curious?
    After the castle we returned to get Geoff and went to The Plough for a few drinks. The Plough is where Raelene had her infamous hen night before getting married. It's a great little pub and like most of them is so old and characterful.    Read more

  • Lou and ColEurope 2018Traveler

    The Lakes

    June 13, 2018 in England ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Today we thought we would get up early and drive up to Lake Windemere. Of course we didn't get going until after 12 as usual. Travelling is so tiring.
    Windemere is very pretty but is hard to get close to as it is surrounded by private reserves and hotels on the shores. The public access areas are crowded with tourists, even midweek. We stopped off at Ambleside at the end of the lake for a bite to eat and a quick look around. We then drove on to Conniston Waters and down to the coast at Broughton in Furness before heading home. We found the lakes a bit touristy for our liking and were glad to get back to the peace of the farmstay.Read more

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