Andrew's Travels

Andrew's Travels

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Vietnam Voyageur
Ho Chi Minh City; Central i
13 novembre 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Helen and I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City after flying overnight via Doha on Qatar Airways for our Intrepid Travel Classic Vietnam trip. The transfer to the hotel is good, but it is striking how many motorbikes are on the roads. We are too early to check in, getting there before 9 am.

Originally part of Cambodia, the city became part of Vietnam in the 18th century and was renamed Saigon; it fell into French hands in the late 19th century, becoming the capital of French Indochina. The war between the US and communist North Vietnam (Vietnam War) ended in 1975, and North Vietnam took over Saigon and renamed it Ho Chi Minh City; it now has a population of over 10 million people (out of the total 100 million) and is a hub of manufacturing and entertainment in Vietnam.

We set off to explore the area around the hotel using a local map highlighted by reception. Our first port of call is Ben Thanh Market, a huge covered market built by the French in 1924; the rain was incredibly heavy for over an hour whilst we were inside, looping round and round to keep dry! Then it was the rather more upmarket Saigon Centre Shopping Mall before walking down the Nguyen Hue Boulevard, a famous pedestrian street; we had great views of the People's Committee Building and of other stunning modern architecture. We reach the Saigon River, where there are more great views and a visual reminder of when we were in Shanghai 6 years ago. We cross the roundabout where the Tran Hung Dao Statue is situated before weaving our way up past the Mosque, Municipal Theatre. Then it's lunch at the Ben Nghe Street Food Market before heading back to the hotel for a rest.

Later on, we met with our tour leader and the other 9 people on the tour for a group meeting followed by an excellent "homestay" style group meal at the Pandan Restaurant.En savoir plus
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Wolfgang und HeidiEnjoying your trip! We did this trip 2005 with Intrepid too. We loved Vietnam and sometimes we are thinking to do it again. Have fun 🤩
13/11/2024RépondreTraduire
VoyageurThanks. I bet it's changed a lot in almost 20 years!
14/11/2024RépondreTraduire
Wolfgang und HeidiWe remember the most challenging hike up to the peake of Mount Fansipan. At that time we had no cablecar bringing us up,but a lot of humid jungle to fight trough
14/11/2024RépondreTraduire
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Central/Southern Lake District Voyageur
1
Grasmere to Easedale Tarn
4 octobre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
This is a popular walk from one of our Walks books that is also on the OS app.

After taking the bus to Grasmere (see earlier post), our route takes us via some woods along the River Rothay to Easedale Road, which we follow past Goody Bridge to take the track along Easedale Beck. We carry straight on towards the Sourmilk Gill Waterfalls and have a steep ascent here towards Brimhowe Crag; gill or ghyll is the local term for a small, open stream, usually with steep sides. There are good views back down into the valley, and we soon reach Easedale Tarn.

We descend via the other side of Sourmilk Gill, some of it via big stones for the footpath, as it is damp underfoot. We eventually reach Easedale Beck and follow this, passing large farm buildings to reach a footbridge over the Beck (New Bridge) to rejoin the path back to Easedale Road. At Goody Bridge, we turn off and recross Easedale Beck via a beautiful stepping stone crossing; the Beck is a lot wider here, as it soon runs into the River Rothay. We walk past Allan Bank House, a two storey villa occupied by William Wordsworth 1808-11, as we reach Grasmere.En savoir plus
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Wolfgang und Heidi 👍😊
04/10/2024Répondre
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Central/Southern Lake District Voyageur
Elterwater and Skelwith Force
3 octobre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C
Today, we follow a route from Elterwater found on the OS app. We take the 9:25 bus from Ambleside to Elterwater, not far away in the Valley of Great Langdale.

Our route takes us past the Eltermere Hotel towards Dale End and on past Little Langdale Tarn and over Slater's Bridge; this is a traditional packhorse bridge made from slate that was a favourite of Alfred Wainwright. We turn towards Slang End and then head south over the muddy Little Fell, past Great How and over The Dub. We pass Hodge Close Farm and the large abandoned quarry near to it before doubling back and over towards the High and Low Oxen Fells; there are great views of Loughrigg Fell en-route. We walk through the Tongue Intake Plantation and then pass Park Farm to Skelwith Force; this is a well-known waterfall on the River Brathay. We then double back to Elterwater following the Cumbria Way along the banks of the River Brathay. Unfortunately, much of Elter Water itself is obscured by trees.

It's been a varied 10-mile walk with great views and recommended.En savoir plus
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Central/Southern Lake District Voyageur
Lake Windermere; boat / west shore walk
2 octobre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Today, we get Walker's tickets for a circular boat/walking route of the northern half of Lake Windermere.

We walk down to the Ambleside Pier at Waterhead and take the boat to Low Wray Bay; from here, we walk around Watbarrow Point, past Wray Castle (see earlier post) and down the western shore of Lake Windermere, with Claife Heights Country Park on our right. We pass various small quays and bays, eventually reaching Caitlap Point and Claife Viewing Station; this is a viewing platform built in 1790 for the first tourists to the Lake District - there are beautiful panoramic views, including some which can be framed by coloured glass to recreate different seasons.

From here, it is a short walk to Ash Landing, where we catch a boat to Bowness-on-Windermere and then another to go back to Ambleside Waterhead.

It's been a super day out, with excellent views all the way.En savoir plus
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Central/Southern Lake District Voyageur
Loughrigg Fell
1 octobre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ 🌬 12 °C
We meet up with Laura, an old friend of Helen's, and set off on a "proper" Lake District walk around Loughrigg Fell from Ambleside.

We leave the town via St Mary's Church and Rothay Park and cross the river Rothay at Miller Bridge; we then walk up and across to Lily Tarn, enjoying good views en route. We cross Loughrigg Fell, having enjoying views down to Loughrigg Tarn and Elter Water, before a steep ascent to the top of Loughrigg Fell (335 m / 1,099 ft above sea level). It is starting to get very windy here, and we can see both Lake Windermere and Lake Grasmere. It is a steep descent to reach Loughrigg Terrace, where we turn east and walk along the southern edge of Rydal Water. We then cross the A591 to Rydal Mount and walk back to Scandale Bridge via Rydal Hall (see earlier post); it's the bus back to Ambleside.

It's been a 7.3-mile hike involving 1,562 ft of ascent, and it's great to see Laura again.En savoir plus
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Central/Southern Lake District Voyageur
Hill Top and Wray Castle
30 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
It's a wet day today (not uncommon in the Lake District), so no big walks! We visit two sites with association to Beatrix Potter, a famous English writer and illustrator best known for her children's books (eg, The Tales of Peter Rabbit).

The first is Hill Top in a village called Near Sawrey; this is a 17th century house, which Beatrix Potter moved into in 1896, aged 30. It is now managed by the National Trust and open as a writer's house museum as she would have known it - an interesting visit.

Afterwards, we headed to Wray Castle, near Lower Wray, on the edge of Lake Windermere; Beatrix Potter stayed here on a family holiday to the Lake District when she was a teenager. Wray Castle began to be built in 1840 in the neo-Gothic style by James Dawson as a Lakeland Villa but intended to look older. It was acquired by the National Trust in 1929. Only the ground floor is open at present, and we visit The exhibition there; "Everests - One Mountain, Many Worlds," which tells the story of the almost forgotten Sherpas. We then follow the map guided walks around the grounds, seeing the lakeside and St Margaret's Church.

Another interesting visit and a good day out.En savoir plus
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Central/Southern Lake District Voyageur
Ambleside to Grasmere Walk via Rydal
29 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
We set off on a very popular linear walk from Ambleside to Grasmere, planning to return by bus.

There are great views en route to the Rydal Hall Estate; Rydal Hall is a large detached house on the outskirts of the village of Rydal and Grade II listed. We then visit the small village of Rydal, known for its association with William Wordsworth, an English Romantic poet who lived here with his family.

More great views as we carry on to Grasmere and pass Dove Cottage, where Wordsworth lived with his sister (both the cottage and the Wordsworth Museum near to it were unfortunately closed today). Wordsworth is buried in St. Oswald's Church in Grasmere, which we visit. Next to the church is Grasmere's famous Gingerbread Shop (it's delicious).

The plan worked, and we caught the bus back to Ambleside after what was a 5.6-mile walk and an interesting visit to Grasmere.En savoir plus
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Central/Southern Lake District Voyageur
Ambleside; town and local walks
29 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
We're spending a week in Ambleside in the Lake District, an area we've both visited many times in the past; it is a mountainous region and national park in Cumbria, North West England and famous for its landscape and literary associations.

Ambleside is a market town that sits at the head of Windermere, England's largest natural lake. We have a brief walk in the town and then set off on the riverside walk to the Ambleside Roman Fort; this was built in the 1st or 2nd century under Hadrian's rule to guard the Roman Road from Brougham to Ravenglass, and to act as a supply base. We then set off on the short 2.5-mile circular local walk along Stock Ghyll, a tributary of the River Rothay, that runs through it (see captions on photos).

Later in the afternoon, we catch the last part of Amblefest, an annual beer and music festival held here at the end of September; Meetwood Flac is a tribute / covers band for Fleetwood Mac and were amazing!

A good first day!En savoir plus
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RHS Gardens Voyageur
RHS Bridgewater, Worsley, Salford
28 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
Helen and I are on our way to the Lake District for a week and stop off en route to visit RHS Bridgewater, in Salford, Greater Manchester.

RHS Bridgewater is the RHS's most recent site and only opened in May 2021; it is a modern revival of the historic Worsley Hall New Estate. This former grand estate covered 154 acres and was visited by Queen Victoria. It had many fine gardens but was requisitioned during WWII and used as training grounds. It fell onto disrepair and was eventually demolished, although the Bothy House, chimney, and Garden Cottage survived. The RHS stated their work in 2017, and RHS Bridgewater is still developing and has many projects coming through.

After entering, we walk towards the Chinese Streamside Garden (being developed in collaboration with the local Chinese community) to its Music Pavilion (the first of four pavilions, apparently). We then walked around Ellesmere Lake and through Upper Middle Wood to the Weston Walled Garden area; this is one of the largest Victorian walled gardens in the UK and in its original incarnation contained a series of kitchen gardens built to service Worsley New Hall. It is divided into two halves, the Paradise Garden (comprising lily pond, Asian and Mediterranean planting) and the Kitchen Garden (inspired by the local history). We then walk through the Community Grow and the Community Wellbeing Gardens.

It has been a good visit, but RHS Bridgewater is a work in progress and needs to be revisited again by us in the future.En savoir plus
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Wolfgang und HeidiLake District is so beautiful! My son was studying in Lancaster. Enjoy 😊
29/09/2024RépondreTraduire
VoyageurWe're staying in Ambleside, not that far from Lancaster! Beautiful area
29/09/2024RépondreTraduire
2 j’aime
London - across by canal paths Voyageur
Regent's Canal 3; to Limehouse Basin
24 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
From Mile End Lock, it is a short walk to Johnson's Lock and then a little further to pass the Mile End Sewer Vent Chimney (used to ventilate the sewer systems underneath). I then reach the Limehouse Basin, a body of water that provided a navigable link between the River Thames and the Regent's Canal; it was first dug in 1820 to act as the eastern terminus for the Regent's Canal - throughout its "working life" Limehouse Basin was better known as the Regent's Canal Dock, and used to trans-ship goods between the old Port of London and the English canal system.

Limehouse Basin now provides waterside living and a marina located in the Canary Wharf area of London and is a gateway to over 2,000 miles of navigable canals and rivers; it is connected to the Regent's Canal, the River Lee (via the Limehouse Cut), and the River Thames (via a tidal lock).

I walk around Limehouse Basin and then down to see "Old Father Thames." A short walk today, but very interesting; this area is a great place to visit.En savoir plus
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The River Cam Voyageur
Cambridge to Hauxton Junction
19 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
From Magdalene Bridge, several colleges of the University of Cambridge back on to the River Cam with their grounds covering both banks of the river; some colleges have buildings on both banks, others not, and several have bridges linking the College with the area known as The Backs. This is a very beautiful area and most tourists visit The Backs and take in the views of the bridges, the most notable of which are The Bridge of Sighs (St John's College) and The Mathematical Bridge (Queen's College).

From here, the River Cam runs through Coe Fen and under the Fen Causeway to Sheep's Green towards Newnham and Grantchester. There is an interesting folly on Coe Fen at the junction with Vicar's Brook (which leads to Hobson's Conduit - see post in Cambridge City); Hodson's Folly is a summerhouse built in 1887 by John Hodson, butler at Pembroke College, in order to keep an eye on his daughter as she swam in the river (making it Town, not Gown!). From here, I double back towards Newnham and cross the river to walk through Paradise Nature Reserve, re-joining at Skaters' Meadow to continue via Grantchester Meadows towards Granchester

Onwards and further upstream I divert to Byron's Pool, now part of a small nature reserve; it is named after Lord Byron, who is said (by Brooke, at least) to have swum there. The River Cam now passes through the Trumpington Nature Reserve and under the M11 to Hauxton Junction; this is the confluence of the two branches of the River Cam - the eastern branch, the Granta, and the western arm, the Rhee.En savoir plus
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Norfolk Voyageur
1
Houghton Hall 2; Grounds and Exhibitions
18 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
After visiting the Hall, we explore the parkland around it; this is known for its iconic white fallow deer and the grounds which feature the local church and a water tower with the appearance of an architectural folly - it was constructed by Sir Robert Walpole and restored in 1982 (it is now a Grade I listed building). Closer to the Hall, the Stables contain the world's largest private collection of model soldiers in the Model Soldier Museum located in one of the stable buildings.

There is a large Sculpture Park in the grounds around the Hall, which contains an impressive permanent collection of contemporary sculptures. The Hall often has exhibitions, and 2024 has major solo exhibitions by:

1) Dame Magdalene Odundo; her main feature is a glass installation called "Metamorphosis and Transformation," a tribute to ancient Egyptian artefacts and narratives of migration, and

2) Antony Gormley; this features 100 life-size sculptures distributed across the 300 acres of the park. They are cast-iron sculptures, each weighing 620kg and standing at an average of 191cm, and installed at the same datum level to create a single horizontal plane across the landscape. Thus, some works are buried, allowing only a part of the head to be visible, while others are buried to the chest or knees according to the topography; only occasionally do they stand on the existing surface and some of the works are placed on concrete columns that vary from a few centimetres high to rising four meters off the ground.

We see as many things as we reasonably can; it has been a truly excellent day out!En savoir plus
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Wolfgang und Heidi 👍😊
24/09/2024Répondre
Wolfgang und HeidiNice trip! 😊
24/09/2024RépondreTraduire
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Norfolk Voyageur
Houghton Hall 1; House and Walled Garden
18 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Helen and I are off on a day trip to Norfolk to visit Houghton Hall.

Houghton Hall is a country house in the parish of Houghton and now the residence of the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley; it was originally constructed in the 1720s for Britain's first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole. The Hall is surrounded by extensive parkland and features notable attractions, including an award-winning Walled Garden.

We explore the Hall and Walled Garden; they are both very beautiful - see captions on the photos.En savoir plus
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Wolfgang und HeidiEngland is so beautiful !
23/09/2024RépondreTraduire
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Museums of Cambridge Voyageur
The Museum of Cambridge
12 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
The building in which the Museum of Cambridge is housed dates from around 1600; it was the White Horse Inn for over 300 years, but became a museum in 1936 to preserve the social and cultural history of Cambridge (the Cambridge and County Folk Museum, before its new name). We visited it as part of the Open Cambridge events.

We walk through the bar area to the kitchen, the walk up the narrow staircase to the first floor to see the guest room and dining room. There are interesting folklore exhibits concerning the Fens area (former marshland now used for agriculture, northwards of Cambridge) and art and artisans of Cambridge. After visiting the childhood room, we go out into the yard. Here, the small Enid Porter building is dedicated to a former long-standing curator of the museum and is now available for hire.En savoir plus
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The River Great Ouse Voyageur
8. Holywell to St Ives
11 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ 🌬 11 °C
From Holywell, the Ouse Valley Way cuts down to the River Ouse for a short way and then passes through an industrial area towards the park and ride station to St. Ives. A far more interesting route is on the south bank of the river, and following the river towards St. Ives Marina and then head into St. Ives via the pedestrian bridge - which is what this post covers.

From Fen Drayton, I follow the old Holywell Ferry Road via the Fen Drayton Lakes Nature Reserve towards the River Great Ouse; there is a good view of The Old Ferry Boat Inn from here. There are more good views of river activity on the path to St Ives before reaching the marina; then, it is across the A1096 and into St Ives via the bridge. St Ives Bridge is a 15th-century bridge and noted for being one of only four bridges in England to incorporate a chapel and is Scheduled Ancient Monument Grade 1 category. St Ives is described more fully in the Cambridgeshire; Hunts District > St Ives FP post.

It has been a good and interesting walk.En savoir plus
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Wolfgang und HeidiWe are planing a Narroboat trip in the near future. Did it long time ago. We had to handle nearly 200 logs. But the best were the pubs at the locks
13/09/2024RépondreTraduire
VoyageurI've never been on such a trip. Where are you planning to go?
14/09/2024RépondreTraduire
Wolfgang und HeidiWe did up the Grand Union, down the Oxfort Channel and then the river Thames to London to join the Grand Union. You have to handle nearly 200 Logs. Luckely very often there is a pub on those logs. We might decide that for late Sommer in 2026 … still have Magny other plans.
15/09/2024RépondreTraduire
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Cambridgeshire; South District Voyageur
Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial
8 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Although it is open most days and bank holidays, we visit the Cambridge American Cemetery today as part of the Open Cambridge events in order to have a guided tour.

Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial is a World War II American military war grave cemetery, lying just outside of north-west Cambridge near Madingley; the cemetery, dedicated in 1956, contains 3,811 American war dead and is administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission. It is situated on land on the north slope of Madingley Hill given by the University of Cambridge to the American military forces for use as a temporary cemetery during World War II. After the war, the Cambridge site was chosen as America's permanent World War II cemetery and war memorial in the UK; the cemetery contains 3,809 headstones, with the remains of 3,811 servicemen, and the memorial comprises a museum room and a small chapel.

We had an excellent tour guide who provided lots of interesting background information, which greatly enhanced the visit to this site (see picture captions for details); a visit when in Cambridge is highly recommended.En savoir plus
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Cambridge University Colleges Voyageur
1
Wolfson College
6 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
We are able to visit Wolfson College today as part of the Open Cambridge events; as well as visiting the college, we go on the Tree Trail and Poetry Trail (poems written by people associated with the college) to see the gardens, and also visit a small exhibition of paintings in one of the buildings.

Wolfson college was founded in 1965 as "University College" to accommodate the increased number of postgraduates who were born both during, and after the end of, WWII, and who started coming to Cambridge University to do research degrees; the college was originally based at Bredon House. It was re-founded as Wolfson College in 1973 in recognition of the benefaction of the Wolfson Foundation. As one of the more modern colleges in Cambridge, it does not follow all of the traditions of some of the university's older colleges; for example, there is no High Table for Fellows.

Various new buildings were opened by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1977, and the Lee Library was opened in 1994; it was donated to the college by the Singaporean businessman and philanthropist Lee Seng Tee.

We follow the trails and see the various buildings of interest, as well as some of the gardens; it has been very interesting to visit one of less "traditional" Colleges of Cambridge University.En savoir plus
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Wolfgang und Heidi 👍😍
10/09/2024Répondre
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Cambridgeshire; South District Voyageur
Villages around Bar Hill
4 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Bar Hill is a large purpose-built accommodation village outside Cambridge and along the A14; it grew rapidly in the 1970's and now has about 4,000 people living there. It is a good place to start circular walks in the surrounding countryside - this post is a combination of photos taken on several walks in the locality, but the whole circular walk can be done in one.

We walk south down a pedestrian path known as "The Drift" towards Dry Drayton; this is a small village with a nice church that has a brass rubbing on the floor. From here, we follow the path and then turn west towards the small rural village of Childerley; this is an isolated place dominated by Childerley Hall, now used for wedding venues, etc. The path now takes us to Knapwell Woods, where we divert off to see the All Saints Church in the hamlet of Knapwell. From here, we head northwest to Elsworth; this village is noted for its former resident the Rev W Awdry, a former vicar of Elsworth church, who is best known for writing the Railway Series of children's books, of which Thomas the Tank Engine is the best known. Then it back east to pass through the village of Boxworth, notable for its church - an ancient edifice of flint and stone in the decorated style. Then it is back to Bar Hill.En savoir plus
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The River Great Ouse Voyageur
7. Earith to Holywell
31 août 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Starting from Hermitage Marina, situated close to Earith Bridge, the Ouse Valley Way goes into the village of Earith after crossing two artificial diversion channels of the River Great Ouse, the Old Bedford River and the New Bedford River; these leave the river on a course to Denver Sluice near Downham Market, where they re-join the Great Ouse in its tidal part (see earlier post in this trip). After walking through the village, the path re-joins the Ouse and passes along the edge of Berry Fen before reaching Brownshill Staunch and Sluice.

The Ouse Valley Way continues past the Pike and Eel at Needingworth and then cuts across, away from the river, to Holywell; Needingworth and Holywell villages are actually one mile apart (by road) and are known collectively as Holywell-cum-Needingworth. Holywell is a Saxon ring village, one of only three in Cambridgeshire, and is well known locally for its beautifully located pub, The Old Ferry Boat Inn. The holy water well from which the village takes its name is located in front of St John the Baptist Church, and has been refurbished and repaired many times over the years; the "well" is in fact a stone structure built over a natural spring which emerges here.En savoir plus
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The River Great Ouse Voyageur
6. Stretham Ferry Bridge to Earith
19 août 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
This post covers two walks along the River Great Ouse; the first is from Stretham Ferry Bridge to Aldreth High Bridge (and back), the other a circular walk from Willingham via Aldreth High Bridge and close to Earith (Hermitage Marina).

Starting from Stretham Ferry Bridge and crossing the A10, the Ouse Valley Way is along the north bank of the river; Chear Fen and its pumping station are on the south bank. There are good views along the river and I soon reach the attractive Twenty Pence Marina; on the other side of the road here is Twenty Pence Cottage, formerly the Twenty Pence Inn that could be reached via a floating bridge. There is a large solar farm en route before I see Smithey Fen Engine on the other side; this was originally built in 1842 as an engine and boiler house, scoop wheel, and chimney pumping station. Further on is Aldreth High Bridge; the crossing here is part of the Aldreth Causeway, one of the ancient routes across the fens, running from Aldreth (a hamlet south of the village of Haddenham) to Belsar's Hill (the site of an Iron Age fort). It is then a 3 mile attractive walk to Hermitage Marina, which is on the outskirts of the village of Earith.En savoir plus
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The River Great Ouse Voyageur
5 Pope's Corner to Stretham Ferry Bridge
18 août 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
This walk was included as part of a Stretham Circular Walk via the Ouse Valley Way. After leaving the village, I eventually reach Pope's Corner, the confluence of the River Cam and the River Great Ouse. I cross the bridge here and follow the course of the river along the south bank (the Ouse Valley Way) and cross over the Newmarket Road towards The Stretham Old Engine. This is a steam-powered engine, just south of the village, and was used to pump water from flood-affected areas of The Fens back into the River Great Ouse; it originally had a steam-powered pump to drain the fens - it is still in use today, although converted to electric power. It is one of only three surviving drainage engines in East Anglia and is a Grade II* listed building.

From here I soon reach The Lazy Otter Marina, part of the Lazy Otter Meadows sited close to the Stretham Ferry Bridge; it was still possible to cross the Old West River (as the River Great Ouse used to be known) by ferry until 1763 when a Turnpike Road was opened with a toll bridge. This bridge was replaced in 1976 when the road was straightened and the A10 bypassed the old bridge with a new one.

Then it's back along the other bank of the River Great Ouse and up towards Stretham village; it's been a pleasant walk of 7.6 miles.En savoir plus
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Kent Voyageur
Viking Trail 1; Margate to Ramsgate
7 juillet 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
This part of the Viking Coastal Trail extends from Margate to Ramsgate via Broadstairs and is approximately 10 miles in length to walk. From Margate (see earlier post), we walk along Marine Terrace and Marine Drive past the Turner Contemporary and up to the clifftops of Cliftonville. Then it is on to Kingsgate via Botany Bay and then Kingsgate Bay; sitting on the clifftop of Kingsgate Bay is Kingsgate Castle - built in the 1760s, it is now split into private residential properties. The clifftop walk takes us past Joss Bay and Stone Bay on to the town of Broadstairs; this seaside resort is known as the "Jewel in Thanet's crown." We walk along the promenade (visiting the town itself tomorrow - see separate post) past the beautiful Viking and Louisa Bays and carry on south to Ramsgate; the town has one of the largest marinas on the English south coast and the harbour here is the only Royal Harbour in the United Kingdom. Ramsgate also has a very attractive coastline, particularly the Ramsgate Main Sands beach.

From Ramsgate, we take the Loop bus back up to Margate; it has been a good walk, and we were fortunate with the weather.En savoir plus
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Kent Voyageur
The Turner Dickens Walk
6 juillet 2024, Angleterre ⋅ 🌬 16 °C
This walk is a 4 mile cross country route between Turner's Margate and Dickens' Broadstairs, and celebrates the connections Margate has with artist JMW Turner and Broadstairs with writer Charles Dickens. The walk starts at the Turner Contemporary in Margate and finishes at the Dickens House Museum on Broadstairs Promenade.

JMW Turner was one of the greatest British artists and “the father of Modern art”; he first visited Margate as a boy in 1786 and returned in his 20s to hone his skills and then visited regularly, always staying at the same guest house (ran by a Mrs Booth). The Turner Contemporary, one of the UK’s leading art galleries, opened on 16th April 2011, and is situated on the same site as Mrs Booth’s guest house, where Turner stayed when he visited the town.

Charles Dickens was one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian era; he first visited Broadstairs in 1837 and developed a deep affection for the town. He rented a house, now called "Bleak House," on Fort Road in 1850, which is believed to have inspired the title of one of his novels, Bleak House, published in 1853. Dickens also wrote parts of the novel "David Copperfield" while staying in Broadstairs.

We set off from the Turner Contemporary in Margate, seeing the Anthony Gormley statue in the sea. We walk via the Old Town towards Hawley Square and leave the town passing Draper's Windmill, a traditional Smock mill, and on towards the historic village of St Peter's; St Peter’s Church was built in 1070 and the churchyard is said to be the longest in the country. There are 24 Dickens inspired mosaic panels set within a landscaped area, in the village of St Peter’s showing Dickens’ most famous characters, including Scrooge, Magwich, Bill Sykes, Mr Bumble and Fagin; one panel shows Dickens and Turner face to face - they were contemporaries but Turner was already in his 30s when Dickens was born in 1812. We soon reach Broadstairs and pass the Crampton Tower Museum and Pierremont Hall before reaching the Dickens House Museum (unfortunately closed).

From here, we walk through the York Arch; built in the 15th century, it once had two strong wooden doors to defend against high tides before offering protection against smugglers in later years. Up the Hill, we see Bleak House (originally known as Fort House); see note earlier.

Another great day out, followed by the Loop bus back to Margate.En savoir plus
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Kent Voyageur
Margate
5 juillet 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Margate is a seaside town in the Isle of Thanet district in the northeast part of Kent; we are spending the weekend here after seeing Jack Savoretti perform at Dreamland this evening. Margate was a popular seaside resort in the 18th century and onwards, but has seen a decline in recent years; I was last here many, many years ago when I was a child!

After a 2 hour drive down from Cambridge, we had an explore of the town in the afternoon before checking in at the apartment; we walked along Marine Terrace and then by Margate Sands before heading up to the Old Town (visiting the quirky Crab Museum!) - see captions on photos for details.

Then it was Dreamland and the Scenic Stage Arena; both Lee Albin Meldau (the support act) and Jack Savoretti were excellent; a great day out!En savoir plus
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Historic Baltic Republics Voyageur
Vilnius; Old Town 2 and Jewish Vilnius
14 juin 2024, Lituanie ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
The Sts John Church Bell tower offers spectacular views of Vilnius; after that, Dzuigas takes us on a short tour of Vilnius University to see some of the many courtyards and halls, which are open to visitors. We carry on through the Old Town, reaching the southern border at the Gates of Dawn.

I then headed west and north to the Jewish area of Vilnius; before WWII, Vilnius was known as the "Jerusalem of the East," but most was destroyed during the war. By coincidence, we returned to the area in the evening for dinner - and the end of the Historic Baltic Republics trip.En savoir plus
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Historic Baltic Republics Voyageur
Vilnius; East of River Vilnia and Uzupis
14 juin 2024, Lituanie ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
On our arrival yesterday, we stopped off at the Church of St Peter and Paul as it is a long way to the east of the city; the Church has a Baroque interior that is the finest in the country. There are also good views down to the city nearby. Later on yesterday, I walked up the Hill of Three Crosses for the superb views (and exercise) and then along the River Vilnia as far as Uzupis before heading back to the Old Town

Conveniently, our guided four with Dzuigas today went into Uzupis; this is a quirky, bohemian area that declared independence on 1st April 1997 (April Fools Day); it's a great place - see captions on photos for details.En savoir plus
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