Andrew's Travels

Andrew's Travels

podróżował/a po 66 krajach. Czytaj więcej🌍Cambridge

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Kent Podróżnik
Faversham
15 stycznia 2023, Anglia ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C
Faversham is the oldest market town in Kent, recorded in the Domesday Book and located on a winding creek; there are many listed and historic buildings here. It is also home to Britain's Oldest Brewer - Shepherd Neame, which has been brewing beer since 1698.

We start our quick walk of the town starting at the Guildhall; it is located in Market Place, stands at the very heart of Faversham, and was originally built as a market hall in 1574. We divert down West Street to see some of the lovely old buildings there and then double back to the Guildhall to walk down Court Street and head down to the Creek - passing the Shepherd Neame Brewery on the way.

Faversham Creek connects the town to the Swale that separates mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey; during Roman Britain and into the first millennium, the Faversham coast was a large estuary with peninsulas either side. We walk along the Creek and reach Standard Quay; this was the town’s main unloading quay from the sixteenth century onwards and boasts one of the oldest warehouses in Britain, built from materials taken of the original Faversham Abbey when it was destroyed during the dissolution. On the opposite bank of the Creek to Standard Quay is a good example of regeneration; the modern apartments built along the Creek were once a part of Pollock’s shipyard. There are several classic ships and boats at Standard Quay now, along with many unique shops and outlets; at the end is Oyster Bay House - this was originally built to store locally-grown Kentish hops before being transported up the creek to the Hop Exchange near London Bridge (despite its name this warehouse has nothing to do with oysters but Faversham did have a great oyster trade).

We double back to town and walk up Abbey Street past the site of the original Abbey and cut across to the Church of St Mary of Charity; reputed to be the second largest in Kent, the church was founded in the medieval era, but the flying spire, known as a crown or corona spire, dates to the 18th century. The church is also noted for its rare medieval painted pillar.

A great visit to an interesting town; I must go back (not least for a brewery trip visit or to attend the Faversham Hop Festival). Czytaj więcej
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Museums of Cambridge Podróżnik
Fitzwilliam; Defaced!
30 grudnia 2022, Anglia ⋅ 🌧 8 °C
Defaced! Money, Conflict, Protest is a major exhibition to explore a 250-year history of protest, using currency and canvas as vehicles for rebellion. Since it is passed through many hands, cash - both notes and coins - is the ideal way to circulate a message while having a go or poking fun at those in power. "If you're fed up and throwing rocks isn't your thing, take it out on the money."

On disply are objects of rebellion made by radicals of the nineteenth and early twentieth century shown alongside works by contemporary artists and activists, including Banksy. The objects include a Boer War cannon and the loan of the fragments of an exploded Transit van detonated by The Hoe Street Central Bank as part of the Big Bang 2 project, which bought up £1.2million of payday loan debt.

It was an extremely interesting visit; see captions with the pictures for descriptions of some of the things we saw (no images of coins though as they were too difficult to photograph in the low light conditions). Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
Cairo 5; Islamic Cairo - The Citadel
29 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
The Citadel of Cairo is a medieval Islamic-era fortification in Cairo, Egypt, built by Salah al-Din (Saladin) and further developed by subsequent Egyptian rulers. It is located on a promontory near the centre of Cairo and commands a strategic position overlooking the city and dominating its skyline. It is now an iconic and preserved historic site, comprising mosques and museums.

The southern enclosure is dominated by the Mosque of Mohammad Ali; it is also known as the Alabaster Mosque because the lower storey and forecourt is tiled with alabaster. It is built in the Turkish style, with an open court and prayer hall. The open court has a Turkish Baroque Ablutions Fountain and a monumental tower clock in the middle of the north-western wall; donated by Prince Philippe of France, it was reciprocated by a the obelisk of Luxor (now in Place de la Concorde). The huge prayer hall inside is vast and noted for its two minbars (pulpits used for sermon reading). We then visit the Mosque of Sultan al-Nasir and have a look in the Police National Museum.

Much of the northern enclosure is closed to the public at present, but the Egyptian Military Museum is open; this is the official museum of the Egyptian Army and was moved to the Harem Palace at the Cairo Citadel in 1949; the interior of the place is extremely large and very beautiful.

We take a taxi back to the hotel in good time to transfer to the airport and the flight home. The Egyptian Experience trip has been fantastic. Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
Cairo 4; Islamic Cairo - Khan El-Khalili
28 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
We fly back to Cairo from Luxor this morning and after landing set off in the coach to see some of the real thing - Islamic Cairo.

The Fatimids established Cairo as their new capital in 973; they built city walls around medieval Islamic Cairo and we see some of these and the portals (gates) in them. We then set off along the streets of the bazaar to reach its centre - the Khan El-Khalili, a famous souk area in this historic centre. We have a falafel sandwich wrap before exploring further and meeting up at the large Mosque Al-Hussein. Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
The Valley of the Kings 2
27 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
We pay extra to visit two more tombs:

The Tomb of Tutankhamun is the most famous in the Valley of the Kings, but is tiny because of his short reign. Discovered by Howard Carter in 1922, its treasures are in the Cairo Museum.

The Tomb of Seti I is the finest and deepest in the Valley of the Kings. It was closed for many years but now open at a high price to keep it exclusive! It is noted for the quality of its painted relief decorations and the vaulted ceiling of the burial chamber. Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
The Valley of the Kings 1
27 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
The Valley of the Kings is removed from other parts of the Theban Necropolis; the site was selected by Pharaohs because of the pyramid shaped mountain peak of Mount Al-Qurn. There is a total of 63 Royal Tombs here, and relatively few are open to the public. Our guide selects her favourite three to cover the three that we can visit with our ticket:

The Tomb of Ramesses IV is noted for its colourful reliefs.

The Tomb of Ramesses III is the grandest of the Ramessid tombs and has 10 side chambers.

The Tomb of Tausert/Setnakt is noted for having two burial chambers; the first is for Seti's wife, Tausert, and this was usurped by a disgruntled Setnakt. Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
The Theban Necropolis
27 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
Situated on the Western Bank of the River Nile, opposite Luxor, is the Theban Necropolis. Like the Pyramids, it is a testament to the Ancient Egyptians obsession with death and resurrection. There are many funerary monuments here, including:
- The Valley of the Kings
- The Valley of the Queens
- The Tombs of the Nobles
- The Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Beiri
- The Colossi of Memnon
- The Ramesseum
- and others too.
This post features some of the "lesser"" monuments. Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
Luxor 2; Karnak - The Precinct of Amun
26 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
The Temple Complex of Karnak is second only to the Pyramids of Giza on the list of "Wonders of Egypt". There are three separate enclosures or "precints", with each dedicated to one of the Theban Triad of Gods (Amun, Mut and Khonsu); together,. they cover an area of 100 acres Like most tours, we visit The Precinct of Amun, which is by far the grandest (and largest at 62 acres).

We enter the Temple of Amun via the Processional Way and pass the largest pylon in Egypt as we reach the Temple Forecourt. As we leave, and just before the second pylon, is a colossus of Ramesses II; we then enter the Great Hypostyle Hall - 600 square metres of titanic columns where the original colours are being recovered using special cleaning techniques. On the outer walls of the Hall are reliefs of battle scenes. Beyond the third and fourth pylons there are obelisks before we reach the Sanctuary.

We leave the Temple of Amun and enjoy views from around the Sacred Lake and walk through some of the open air museum to the Temple of Khonsu where there are some excellent wall reliefs; the Temple of Opet is here too and we see this and enjoy a fine view back over the Precinct of Amun.

Opposite the Temple of Khonsu is the Gateway of Euergetes II which opens to the Avenue of Sphinxes; this provides a direct route between the Karnak Complex and the Luxor Temple.

Another fantastic visit. Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
Luxor 1; Downtown and Luxor Temple
25 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
We disembark and walk to Luxor Temple along the Corniche and via the bazaar.

The Temple was founded by Amenophis III and added to by Tutankhamun and Ramesses II, with the Sanctuary rebuilt by Alexander the Great. The Temple was half covered by sand and silt for centuries and very recently The Avenue of Sphinxes has been uncovered; this linked Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple back in the day, and it is now possible to walk the 2.8km between them again.

From the Avenue of Sphinxes we enter the Temple via its gateway of two pylons, one 25m high obelisk (the other of the original pair is on La Place de la Concorde in Paris) and 6 colossi og Ramesses II. We pass into the Court of Ramesses II, where a mosque has been built on the remains of colonnades. We walk along the Collonade of Amenophis III to the Court of Amenophis III and on to the Hypostyle Hall, with its Roman altar. We then reach the inner sanctums and visit the Birth Room and the Sanctuary of Amun's Barque.

We walk back to the Cruise Ship for our final evening on it. Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
Nile Cruise 2; Edfu to Luxor
25 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
We leave Edfu at about 8am; Intrepid trepid Travel tours do not visit Edfu Temple for ethical reasons, but that does stop the other tour groups making a short and rushed visit.

There are excellent views from the top deck, where we relax for the morning until we reach Esna. Here there are two barrages that act as bridges over the Nile; just before reaching them many small boats come to the ship and throw their wares up in the hope that they will be inspected and purchased, since cruise ships do not stop here. Each barrage has a lock to allow vessels to pass through.

We cruise on to Luxor, arriving at 3:30 pm; we dock close to the magnificent Temple of Luxor and disembark. Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
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Nile Cruise 1; The Temple of Kom Ombo
24 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ 🌙 24 °C
We leave Aswan and the first stop on our Nile Cruise is the town of Kom Ombo, to visit the temple here.

The Kom Ombo Temple is about 30 miles north of Aswan situated on a promontory at a bend in the Nile, where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbanks here .

The Temple is unique because of its 'double' / mirror image design meaning that there are courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms duplicated for two sets of gods; the southern half of the temple was dedicated to the crocodile headed god Sobek (fertility) and the northern part of the temple was dedicated to the falcon headed god Haroeris aka Horus (power and healing). There are many reliefs and carvings; an interesting place to visit.

There is also a small museum here dedicated to Sobek; it features a number of mummified crocodiles and statues in the shape of crocodiles. Quirky!

We leave Kom Ombo and the ship stops overnight at Edfu. Czytaj więcej
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Wolfgang und Heidi 👍
26.11.2022Odpowiedz
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
1
The Temples of Abu Simbel
24 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
It is a three and a half hour drive to Abu Simbel from Aswan, and a very early start.

The Temples of Abu Simbel were discovered as recently as 1813 because they were covered with sand blown by desert winds; they are located just 40km north of the border with Sudan on the West Bank of Lake Nasser. They were actually relocated to a higher level between 1964-8 to prevent flooding as the High Aswan Dam was scheduled to be completed by 1972.

The Great Temple of Ramesses II was carved out of the mountain rock in the 13th century BC and is dominated by four colossal 20m tall statues of the Pharaoh as a display of power. We go in and enter the large hall with 8 columns and statues of him; the reliefs at the sides show Ramesses' prowess in battle. We then enter the Sacred Sanctuary, where Ramesses is with the triad of gods of the temple.

Close by is The Temple of Hathor and Nefertari; this is smaller, but also has an impressive rock hewn facade of Ramesses, Nefertari and two of their children. We pass through the entry Hall to the Sacred Sanctuary.

This is an amazing place to visit! Czytaj więcej
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Wolfgang und Heidi A great temple! We visited 12 years ago. Time running fast 😊
26.11.2022Odpowiedz
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
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Aswan 3; Felucca / Elephantine Island
23 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Elephantine Island is the largest of a group of islands in the River Nile and form part of Aswan; we have great views of it from our hotel on The Corniche.

The felucca is a traditional wooden sailing boat used in this part of the world and the group enjoy a ride on one around Elephantine Island, seeing many interesting things (see photo captions).

We are dropped off at The Old Cataract Hotel and stop for a cocktail; Agatha Christie was based here for a while and wrote part of "Death on the Nile" in her room (now the Agatha Christie suite).

We visit Elephantine Island itself in the evening; there are two Nubian villages here and we enjoy a Nubien feast at one of the houses; this included lentil soup, Egyptian Moussaka, fried chicken, tajin potatoes, rice, salt and Egyptian baklava to finish. Superb! Czytaj więcej
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Wolfgang und Heidi We remember that place. We did that very trip about 10 years ahí
25.11.2022Odpowiedz
PodróżnikTime flies!
26.11.2022Odpowiedz
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
Aswan 2; Bazaar, Corniche, Nubia Museum
23 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
The Sharia al-Souk bazaar runs from the train station to The Corniche several blocks parallel to, and inland from, the river. This bazaar is regarded as the best in Egypt outside of Cairo, and we explore part of if from the Corniche end, enjoying the sights, smells and sounds.

The Corniche is the finest in Egypt, less for the buildings along it than the superb views of Elephantine Island, the felucca sailboats on the River Nile and the sands of the Western Sahara on the bank behind it (see next post). We walk along it and pass the Ferial Gardens, Coptic Cathedral and The Old Cataract Hotel (see next post).

We walk uphill to The Nubia Museum; completed in 1998, it provides an interesting introduction to Nubia and Nubian culture from 4,500 BC to the present day; it does not disappoint. The large grounds are the open air part of the museum and landscaped, containing a waterway and many interesting exhibits. Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
Aswan 1; Philae Island / Temple of Isis
22 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Upon our arrival at Aswan, we transfer directly to the Riverside departure point for Philae Island and the Temple of Isis. The British built the first Aswan Dam in 1902 and this caused the Temple to be partially submerged; because othis unexpected consequence, prior to the new High Dam construction the complete Teple was relocated brick by brick to nearby Agilka Island and landscaped to match the original site.

Constructed during Ptolomeic times in a fusion of Egyptian and Greco-Roman styles, The Temple of Isis has long fascinated visitors. Isis was the wife of Osiris, and the Goddess of Health, Marriage and Wisdom.

Inside the Grand Court is the Sanctuary with a stone pedastal dedicated to Ptolomy III surrounded be incredible wall reliefs. After our tour, we continue to explore and walk round the rest of the island before taking the boat back to our tour bus and Aswan. Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
Alexandria 3; Bibliotheca Alexandrina
21 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Alexandria was also home to The Library of Alexandria, the largest in the Ancient World. This is long gone, but the decision was taken in 1974 to reincarnate it as The Bibliotheca Alexandrina. It opened in 2002 and is now a major Library containing 8 million books, as well as being a Cultural Centre that hosts galleries, exhibitions and a museum of antiquities. It also houses The Sadat Museum, a permanent display dedicated to the life of President Sadat, which we visit.

We stop at Carrefour in Alexandria to get provisions for our overnight train journey from Cairo to Aswan; we then set off back to Cairo. Living the dream! Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
Alexandria 2; Kom el Shoqafa Catacombs
21 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
The Kom el Shoqafa Catacombs were discovered by accident in 1902, when a donkey accidentally fell into the main access shaft during some construction work. Also known as the Necropolis, the Catacombs are one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.

They comprise a series of tombs built on three levels and bodies were lowered down a central shaft by rope before being transferred to their tombs. They are thought to be for one family originally, as the highly decorated principal Tomb chamber comprises three sarcophagi with sealed lids (the bodies were inserted from below).

In the courtyard, we visit The Tigran Tomb; this was moved here after its discovery in 1952 - the patterns in the decorations date back to the 2nd century BC! Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
Alexandria 1; Qaitbay Citadel / Corniche
20 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
We leave Cairo heading west, passing close to 6th October City (the date is a significant one for Egypt); this is still part of Cairo and here on the outskirts are may upmarket, gated communities. We now travel north into much greener countryside and reach Alexandria in 3 hours; this is the second largest city in Egypt and the largest on the Mediterranean Coast.

Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and built under his orders, heralding the start of the Greco-Roman period of Egyptian history and becoming a centre of Hellenic civilisation.

Qaitbay Citadel (aka The Fort of Qaitbay) is an important 15th century fortification system with a mosque inside it and is built on the foundations of the Lighthouse of Alexandria (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World); it is possible to scuba dive here and see some of Ancient relics that are kept under water for their protection.

We explore the Citadel and then drive along the waterfront road to our hotel; this waterfront promenade is known as The Corniche and extends for 10 miles east from the Citadel along the curved bay to Montaza.

Later on, we walk along part of The Corniche and see Stanley Bridge with its private access beach behind it; this bridge was the first on Egypt to be constructed over the sea. There are many restaurants and areas of entertainment on the beach side of The Corniche, as Alexandria is a very popular resort for Egyptian tourists. Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
Cairo 3; The Egyptian Museum
19 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
The Egyptian Museum is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities and the Cairo Museum; it is the Middle East's oldest archaeological museum and houses many artefacts (including those from the tomb of Tutankhamun). It is located close to Tahrir Square; this is also known as Martyr's Square due to the many demonstrations that have been held there in the past.

Our guide gives us a tour of the highlights of the Museum; some of these are described by the images here and the detailed captions with them.

We also see The Mummy Room and the Tutankhamun Hall; photography is absolutely forbidden here, but we see many amazing things, including the gold funereal mask of the boy-king Tutankhamun.

An excellent visit; note that in due course, the Egyptian Museum will be eclipsed by the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) which is scheduled to open in early 2023.... Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
Cairo 2; The Giza Pyramid Complex
19 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
The Pyramids of Giza site is the last remaining of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and on many a " bucket list"; hence the crowds on the day! There are three main Pyramids, but actually nine on the site, and date from 2,600 - 2,500 BC (Fourth Dynasty). They were originally covered in a white limestone casing.

We start at the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops in Greek); the complex comprises the Great Pyramid itself (146m high and made from 2.3 million stone blocks!), three Queen's Pyramids and three boat pits (the stones were transported by water). We went inside to see the King's Gallery, comprising a sarcophagus of Aswan Granite; this is a narrow, hot, claustrophobic journey up and not for everyone! Glad we did it though!

We then visit the Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren in Greek), the son of Khufu. The Pyramid still has some limestone casing at the the top; access to the Pyramid from street level is guarded by the Great Sphinx down below.

We drive past the third Pyramid (the Pyramid of Menkaure (Mykerinos in Greek)), the son of Khafre and the grandson of Khufu, to reach a panorama viewpoint for the whole site (we are not alone here).

Next stop is the Great Sphinx; this is accessed via the Khafre Valley Temple. The Sphinx is the head of Khafre on the body of a lion, and magnificent. The Temple is interesting too, as the inside is encased with red granite from Aswan to protect it from flooding by the River Nile.

A wonderful experience that is now off our bucket list! Czytaj więcej
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Egypt Experience Podróżnik
Cairo 1; Nat. Mus. Egyptian Civilization
18 listopada 2022, Egipt ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
We landed at Cairo Airport yesterday and had our first experience of the rush hour traffic here.....

A free day today and we visit The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, NMEC; this is located in Old Cairo and overlooks the natural lake of Ain Sina. The Museum was officially opened last year (April 2021) and is a cultural hub that displays artefacts in the chronological order of Prehistoric, Ancient (the time of the Pharaohs), Greco-Roman (after Alexander the Great and then the Romans), Coptic (the Egyptian form of Christianity), Muslim and Modern Periods.. An excellent experience. The most well-known period is, of course, the Ancient Period, but modern Egypt is now 85% Muslim and 15% Christian.

Most significant is the Royal Mummy Room on the lower level where Royal coffins and mummies moved here from the main museums and sites of Egypt to centralise them in one place; they are displayed in chronological order of the dynasties. No photographs allowed, but an amazing display.

We visit the temporary Egyptian Textiles Exhibition and enjoy the views outside the museum building, including The Dye-House, the only preserved archaeological remains of an Islamic dyehouse in Egypt, and The Citadel of Cairo (aka The Citadel of Saladin), a medieval Islamic era fortification.

A great start to our Egypt Experience! Czytaj więcej
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Wolfgang und HeidiEnjoy your trip !
18.11.2022Odpowiedz
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Hertfordshire Podróżnik
Royston
31 października 2022, Anglia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Royston is a town in North Hertfordshire about 10miles from Duxford; the town has excellent road and rail communications and has grown rapidly in recent years. Despite its size, the out-of -town shopping zones, industry etc there is still an area in the centre of the town that reflects its place in the history of the local area and this is where I planned a "cultural" visit based on the town trail map.

Royston grew at the crossing of two ancient thoroughfares; Ermine Street (created after the Roman conquest) and the Icknield Way (originally a prehistoric routeway). Roisia's Cross was erected at this crossroad and the name evolved to Roisia's Town and then Royston; a large boulder with a socket in it, supposed to be the base of the original cross, is now there. Royston Cave - an artificial circular, bell-shaped chamber cut into the chalk bedrock - is underneath it and accessed from Melbourn Street (it is only open to the public on certain days during the Summer).

Nearby, on Kneesworth Street, is a large house known as King James' Palace; King James VI stayed in Royston in 1603, went hunting and liked the area so much he decided to build a house here (actually a royal hunting lodge) as it was also close to his other favoured area of Newmarket. The Royston Museum is on the other side of the road to the house.

Back on Melbourn Street, I detour to see the County Court House - now a trendy bar and kitchen - on Fish Hill. I then double back to pass the Grade II listed Georgian Banyer's House and the Old Town Hall, now Royston Picture House. These buildings are opposite the Priory Memorial Gardens, formerly attached to a nunnery, where The Parish Church of St. John the Baptist is located; this is Grade I listed and dates from the 12th century. The border of the Gardens with Melbourn Street is where the WWI War Memorial is located - it features a two-foot high bronze statuette of a private of the First World War with a crow at his feet - and the gardens also house a war memorial dedicated to members of the United States Army Air Force 91st Bomb Group who died whilst stationed at Bassingbourn from 1942 to 1945.

I walk over to the High Street and then up to the Old Bull Inn, a former 15th century coaching inn with stabling for over 100 horses, and a very popular place as on the other side is the Market Square.

An interesting visit; I now see Royston a little differently to how I used to! Czytaj więcej
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Wolfgang und Heidireal nice story 😊
02.11.2022Odpowiedz
PodróżnikThanks! There's often more than meets the eye about places when you dig a bit.
02.11.2022Odpowiedz
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Tyne and Wear Podróżnik
Newcastle; across the city to Quayside
23 października 2022, Anglia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
Newcastle is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear and located on the River Tyne's northern bank. Originally dependent on its port and, in particular, its status as one of the world's largest ship building and repair centres, the city today is much more diverse.

The first recorded settlement was Pons Aelius ("Hadrian's bridge"), a Roman fort and bridge across the River Tyne; it then became part of the powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria. Newcastel is named after its castle; originally a wooden castle in the Norman times, it was replaced by a stone castle and then rebuilt again in 1172 during the reign of Henry II.

We start the walk across the city at the West Walls section of the Newcastle town wall, which was built during the 13th and 14th centuries to help protect the town from attack and occupation during times of conflict. We then walk up towards St James' Park, the home of Newcastle United FC; this is close to Chinatown, one of five in the UK, and we walk through this and pass the Catholic Cathedral Church of St Mary. We reach Newcastle Central Railway Station; outside of this is the Stephenson Monument, a memorial to George Stephenson who developed the 'Rocket', an early locomotive, with his son Robert and pioneered rail transport and the development of the first passenger railways. There is a good view of the Newcastle Castle Keep from the station car park.

As we carry on east we pass the Rutherford Memorial Fountain - a distinctive red sandstone drinking fountain is located at the top of the Bigg Market - and enjoy another view of the Castle from the road here before reaching Newcastle Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Nicholas. We pass the historic Black Gate, originally the castle’s fortified gatehouse or barbican; this is close to the Moot Hall which was commissioned as a courthouse to replace the facilities at the Castle.

We now descend to walk along Quayside and see the magnificent and iconic bridges that cross the River Tyne from Newcastle to Gateshead on the other side (see photo captions); these are beautiful both by day and night.

A brief visit to Newcastle, but "I'll be back". Czytaj więcej
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Tyne and Wear Podróżnik
Whitley Bay
22 października 2022, Anglia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Whitley Bay is a seaside town in the county of Tyne and Wear, located around 10 miles east of Newcastle; it now includes the former village of Monkseaton. The decline of local coal mining and dependent industries prompted Whitley to develop as a seaside holiday resort and this was aided by the opening of the North Tyne Loop railway line in 1882 and, from 1980 onwards, the development of the present Metro system.

We walk along the promenade (aka The Links, a former 9-hole golf course) and enjoy a nice view of St Mary's Lighthouse in the distance; we take in the skateboard park, beach and War Memorial before heading back to the Spanish City; originally a permanent seaside fairground, this is now a fancy venue in a historic building with eateries and bar.

For refreshment, we visit The Dog and Rabbit Micro Brewery, converted from a women's clothing shop, and then walk to Monkseaton to The Left Luggage Room, a specialist craft beer pub sited the former Parcel and Left Luggage Room at the station there. Czytaj więcej
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Tyne and Wear Podróżnik
Tynemouth
22 października 2022, Anglia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Tynemouth is a coastal town in the county of Tyne and Wear located around 8 miles east of Newcastle, and part of its metropolitan borough of North Tyneside. It is situated on the north side of the mouth of the River Tyne (hence its name) and the headland here has been settled since the Iron Age; the Romans may have occupied it as a signal station and in the 7th century a monastery was built in Tynemouth and later fortified.

We start at the popular weekend market at Tynemouth as it is located inside the Metro Station; lots of LPs for sale and well worth a visit. We walk into town passing the King's Priory School; at the top of the High Street on the outskirts of a small park is the Queen Victoria Statue and at the other end is the distinctive clock tower and drinking fountain - there is a good view of the Promenade and Long Sands Beach from here.

We are very close to Tynemouth Castle and Priory; the moated castle-towers, gatehouse and keep are combined with the ruins of the Benedictine priory where early kings of Northumbria were buried. Now managed by English Heritage, it is very beautiful. We walk towards the Tyne and see the Tynemouth Piers; there are actually two constructions - North and South - that have protected the mouth of the River Tyne from the ravages of the North Sea since Victorian times; before their construction, it was impossible for shipping to leave the river when an easterly gale blew.

A little further along is the Collingwood Monument; Lord Collingwood is sometimes referred to as the forgotten hero of Trafalgar as he was second-in-command to Admiral Lord Nelson during the Battle of Trafalgar. He assumed command of the British fleet after the death of Lord Nelson, transferring to HMS Euryalus, and then led the fleet and completed the battle plans that he and Nelson had created together. The four cannons are from Collingwood's flagship, the HMS Royal Sovereign, during the Battle of Trafalgar.

This area is definitely worth a second visit to explore it more thoroughly! Czytaj więcej
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Journey through the Balkans Podróżnik
Cavtat
27 września 2022, Chorwacja ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Cavtat is the most southerly Croatian resort of all, located around 20 km south of Dubrovnik and only 22 km from the border with Montenegro; it is a village by the sea in a small bay with a seafront promenade.

The final night of our Journey through the Balkans is spent here and we have the chance to explore this lovely place (see picture captions) before a farewell dinner with our fellow Explore travellers. Czytaj więcej
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