Hi there! Remember me? I've been back from my adventuring for over a month and so it's about time to write a post...more like twenty-five or so! As you know my laptop acted up on this trip and I couldn't blog - well I could have written some posts but no pictures and what fun is that? I hope you were able to follow along on my Facebook page where I posted most evenings.
So go and get a cup of tea, a glass of wine or your choice of beverage and then come back to read the looooong overview of my trip.
The first three weeks of my trip were spent traveling around Britain with my cousin Joanne.
So go and get a cup of tea, a glass of wine or your choice of beverage and then come back to read the looooong overview of my trip.
The first three weeks of my trip were spent traveling around Britain with my cousin Joanne.
Yorkshire
Upon our arrival into Gatwick Airport we set off for the ancient city of York where we stayed two nights at the Premier Inn. York is my second favourite city in the UK (no guesses what my favourite is!) as there is so much history and it's absolutely gorgeous. We walked the city walls, took an interesting tour of York Minster, raided the shops along The Shambles and had Afternoon Tea at Betty's. Betty's is a York institution. A bit of a splurge but worth it!
Wandering through the Shambles...an ancient street dating from the 14th century and which housed many butcher shops. There were so many sweet little shops and cafes. I think my dream (or one of them!) would be to score a dog sitting gig in York!
Above is towering Yorkminster - a "must-see" to visit when you are in York.
Three tiers of yumminess - yes we got one of these "each'!!! And no, we couldn't finish everything.
After two nights in York (a ridiculously short amount of time but we were on a tight schedule) we hopped on the train for a short ride over to Malton where our cousin Judy and her husband Colin picked us up and took us back to their beautiful home in Beckhole. We were treated like royalty with delicious home-cooked food and taken to places on our "wish list" such as Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay and Sandsend. As well, our other cousin Sue who is a very talented landscape artist took us over to the North York Moors Visitor Centre on Danby Moor to view her current exhibition. Wonderful! She then drove us to see another cousin, her sister Ann and the day ended with a lovely home-cooked meal in her home. Joanne and I also walked along a "rails to trails" path from the back of Judy and Colin's home to Goathland...AKA Aidensfield, the base village of the TV series "Heartbeat". As my aunt once said, our family (mom's side) is so small we could have a reunion inside a telephone box so it was so nice to spend time with them.
We parked in the car park at the fabulous Whitby Abbey and walked down the infamous 199 steps and back up again!
Here's a view looking towards St Mary's Church on the cliff....the Abbey is behind it.
This row of cottages features prominently on calenders of North Yorkshire. My Great Auntie Tyl and her family owned the cottage with the blue door in the middle. Joanne was lucky enough to stay there back in 1969.
A beautiful rainbow accompanied us on our drive over the moors.
To read more about our time in Yorkshire click here where I go into much more detail - and more pictures!!!
It was so nice to spend time with our cousins and we had such a wonderful time...but it was time to head off to...
We toured Holyrood House and I will be telling you more about this fabulous place in my next post.
The day of our tour was a broody wet one but here we are on the bonny bonny banks of Loch Lomond. I don't envy those people in the canoes!
Our last night in Edinburgh we finally had Neeps (turnip/rutabaga) and Tatties (potatoes) and Haggis in a pub.
You can't go to Edinburgh without saying hi to Greyfriar's Bobby!
Here are the magnificent Kelpies which stand 30 meters (almost a 100 feet) high.
Out in the country on our Ten Lakes Spectacular Tour. While public transport in the Lakes is fairly decent, if you don't have a car the Mountain Goat tours are the best way to see more of the countryside.
Tarn Hows was beautiful.
On the boat ride on Derwentwater which was included on our tour.
Our walk around Grasmere which is one of the smallest lakes in the Lake District - this part was the creek that runs in between Grasmere and Rydal Water.
Castlerigg Stone Circle which is a World Heritage Site - another place we couldn't have reached without a car or a tour. Beautiful!
Here is the lovely village of Hawkshead
Three days in the Lake District is never enough but it had to be because soon we were off to..
Rochester Cathedral - impressive inside and out!
A pub lunch was a must (pubs in London just aren't the same as in smaller places) and a ham and cheese ploughman's lunch hit the spot!
Rochester's High (Main to us North Americans) Street - it was a lovely town and one I'd like to return to one day.
I really enjoyed my day in Rochester. I will be writing more about it for sure.
Then it was time to go to...
The pretty harbour of Nyhavn drew me back again and again - as it did with lots of tourists...
Taking a trip around the canals is a must when you are in Copenhagen. (included with my Copenhagen card!)
Another canal in the Christianborg area.
Rosenborg Slot (Palace) was beautiful and surrounded by a lovely park.
When I think of Copenhagen I think of smorbrod! ! (open faced sandwiches) My favourite was shrimp, egg and mayo.
I can remember peering longingly through the closed gates of the Tivoli Amusement Park back in 1984 on my first visit. It was late September and Tivoli was closed for the season. I made sure I spent an evening there this time and while there were lots of rides I ignored them (something I wouldn't have done back in 1984 - I loved wild rides!) and enjoyed the beautiful buildings and gardens. (included on my Copenhagen card!)
The bad part...my Mastercard did not work. It said "invalid PIN". To make a long story short it turned out to be hacked. You will read all about it believe me. Thank goodness I had a back up credit card although that failed me twice. My anxiety really got a work out on this trip.
Then it was time to go and visit friends in a village just an hour south of Copenhagen..
Wandering through the Shambles...an ancient street dating from the 14th century and which housed many butcher shops. There were so many sweet little shops and cafes. I think my dream (or one of them!) would be to score a dog sitting gig in York!
After two nights in York (a ridiculously short amount of time but we were on a tight schedule) we hopped on the train for a short ride over to Malton where our cousin Judy and her husband Colin picked us up and took us back to their beautiful home in Beckhole. We were treated like royalty with delicious home-cooked food and taken to places on our "wish list" such as Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay and Sandsend. As well, our other cousin Sue who is a very talented landscape artist took us over to the North York Moors Visitor Centre on Danby Moor to view her current exhibition. Wonderful! She then drove us to see another cousin, her sister Ann and the day ended with a lovely home-cooked meal in her home. Joanne and I also walked along a "rails to trails" path from the back of Judy and Colin's home to Goathland...AKA Aidensfield, the base village of the TV series "Heartbeat". As my aunt once said, our family (mom's side) is so small we could have a reunion inside a telephone box so it was so nice to spend time with them.
We parked in the car park at the fabulous Whitby Abbey and walked down the infamous 199 steps and back up again!
Here's a view looking towards St Mary's Church on the cliff....the Abbey is behind it.
This row of cottages features prominently on calenders of North Yorkshire. My Great Auntie Tyl and her family owned the cottage with the blue door in the middle. Joanne was lucky enough to stay there back in 1969.
A beautiful rainbow accompanied us on our drive over the moors.
To read more about our time in Yorkshire click here where I go into much more detail - and more pictures!!!
It was so nice to spend time with our cousins and we had such a wonderful time...but it was time to head off to...
Edinburgh
My next post will be more details on our time in this beautiful city - remember this is just an overview! I had rented us a two-bedroom flat on Airbnb and once we 1) figured out how to get in the front door and 2) how to use the scary lift (elevator) it was great.
We walked the Royal Mile on the first day and visited Holyrood Palace. The second day we toured the Royal Brittanica ship and had a Cream tea in the restaurant on board followed by a trip to the Botanical Gardens. (underwhelming) Our last day we took a day trip with Rabbies to see the Kelpies, see Loch Lomond and visit Stirling Castle.
We toured Holyrood House and I will be telling you more about this fabulous place in my next post.
The day of our tour was a broody wet one but here we are on the bonny bonny banks of Loch Lomond. I don't envy those people in the canoes!
Our last night in Edinburgh we finally had Neeps (turnip/rutabaga) and Tatties (potatoes) and Haggis in a pub.
You can't go to Edinburgh without saying hi to Greyfriar's Bobby!
Here are the magnificent Kelpies which stand 30 meters (almost a 100 feet) high.
And here is (brrrr..) Stirling Castle...brrrr. Yes, we saw tiny flakes of snow when we were there...we had a tour of the Castle which was very interesting but I really can't remember a thing now. I think my brain was frozen!
Those three days whizzed by and then it was time to get on yet another train (yay for rail passes) to Windermere and the
Lake District
If you read this blog regularly you know I was there last year..at pretty much the same time in May. No problem..I love the Lake District and I can see me going back again and again. We stayed at the same Bed and Breakfast that I stayed at last year in Ambleside. Joanne says that was her favourite part of the trip and I agree..it is such a beautiful part of the country. We visited William Wordsworth's home at Rydal Mount, we walked around Grasmere Lake (in the rain), we visited Beatrix Potter's cottage in Near Sawrey, went to the pub where my aunt and uncle (Joanne's parents) had their honeymoon and visited my aunt's favourite lake in the Lake District...Tarn Hows. Thank goodness for taxi cabs as neither of us were up for a long walk. While the Lake District has good public transit it only goes so far. We also took a Ten Lakes Spectacular tour which we both enjoyed.
Out in the country on our Ten Lakes Spectacular Tour. While public transport in the Lakes is fairly decent, if you don't have a car the Mountain Goat tours are the best way to see more of the countryside.
On the boat ride on Derwentwater which was included on our tour.
Our walk around Grasmere which is one of the smallest lakes in the Lake District - this part was the creek that runs in between Grasmere and Rydal Water.
Castlerigg Stone Circle which is a World Heritage Site - another place we couldn't have reached without a car or a tour. Beautiful!
Here is the lovely village of Hawkshead
Three days in the Lake District is never enough but it had to be because soon we were off to..
North Wales
I had rented an Airbnb flat for us in Llandudno which is on the coast of North Wales. Our two bedroom flat was above a tattoo parlour of all things. (no we didn't drink too much wine one night and run to get a tattoo!) We visited Conwy Castle in nearby Conwy as well as the lovely Plas Mawr. I must admit I was much more impressed with the latter and we spent quite a bit of time happily exploring this Elizabethan townhouse dating from the 16th century. While Conwy Castle is a ruin there was much to see in the townhouse. We also took a tram up the Great Orme in Llandudno and visited a nearby beach.
I had visited Conwy Castle previously in 1984 but could not remember a thing about it...now I know why. It was just a ruin with not much information provided inside. The view from the top was outstanding though!
One of the interior rooms of Plas Mawr, a 16th-century Elizabethan townhouse featuring the Coat of Arms of the Wynn family (who built the house). It has been restored with both original and new furnishings. I was totally blown away by this place. I will be writing more about it with lots of photos as well.
Aren't you glad you didn't live in the 16th century?
The refurbished exterior of Plas Mawr. An extensive 3.3 million renovation was done over three and a half years in the mid 90's.
There were four ways of getting up to the top of the Great Orme - you can see three of them here. Cable car, tram and Shank's pony (walking) The fourth is driving a car. We took the tram.
The views from the top were spectacular!
The time in Wales whizzed by and soon we were on the train to..
I had visited Conwy Castle previously in 1984 but could not remember a thing about it...now I know why. It was just a ruin with not much information provided inside. The view from the top was outstanding though!
One of the interior rooms of Plas Mawr, a 16th-century Elizabethan townhouse featuring the Coat of Arms of the Wynn family (who built the house). It has been restored with both original and new furnishings. I was totally blown away by this place. I will be writing more about it with lots of photos as well.
Aren't you glad you didn't live in the 16th century?
The refurbished exterior of Plas Mawr. An extensive 3.3 million renovation was done over three and a half years in the mid 90's.
There were four ways of getting up to the top of the Great Orme - you can see three of them here. Cable car, tram and Shank's pony (walking) The fourth is driving a car. We took the tram.
The views from the top were spectacular!
The time in Wales whizzed by and soon we were on the train to..
London Town
I was so excited to show Joanne London. She had been before back in the early 70's but it has changed a lot since then! We were lucky enough to see rehearsals of the Trooping of the Colour (Queen's Offical Birthday celebration in mid June), attend Evensong at St Paul's, get a bird's eye view of London from the Sky Garden, enjoy a fantastic production of "Come From Away" in the West End, see the beautiful Dale Chihuly glasswork at Kew Gardens, snoop around Camden and Portobello road markets, visit the church in Streatham where our Great Grandparents married, walked around in awe of the mummies and the Rosetta Stone in the Egyptian Room at the British Museum and so much more.
Camden High Street leading to Camden Market. Fun during the week but a nightmare at weekends (if you are an oldie) - trust me on this...
Loved this sculpture called "Fearless Girl" in Paternoster Square - St Paul's Cathedral is behind her. It was temporary until June - wish London could have kept her. The original is in New York City.
"Summer Sun" by Dale Chihuly (to me it looks more like autumn colours)
Not only did we get to see them rehearse from afar we got to see them parading past at the end. Joanne was very lucky! One of the many things I love about London is you get to see this randomly if you are in the right place at the right time.
Camden High Street leading to Camden Market. Fun during the week but a nightmare at weekends (if you are an oldie) - trust me on this...
Loved this sculpture called "Fearless Girl" in Paternoster Square - St Paul's Cathedral is behind her. It was temporary until June - wish London could have kept her. The original is in New York City.
"Summer Sun" by Dale Chihuly (to me it looks more like autumn colours)
Not only did we get to see them rehearse from afar we got to see them parading past at the end. Joanne was very lucky! One of the many things I love about London is you get to see this randomly if you are in the right place at the right time.
Joanne and the iconic pose in Trafalgar Square - another "must" pose is standing on the Blue Bridge in St James's Park. (snap! done!)
And just like that, it was time for Joanne to fly back home. Both of us were tired and under the weather by this point. We had been busy but what a great time we had!
I stayed on another week in London just relaxing and went on a day trip to Rochester in Kent to use up my rail pass. I kept that week pretty low key as I wanted to feel good for my time in Scandinavia. I joked with friends before I left on the trip how I would need a week to recuperate from our hectic three weeks schedule - and it turned out to be true! I had plans of getting new posts done but we know how that turned out...Honestly, I tried to blog and did one post that took me absolutely ages as my laptop refused to show the pictures for more than a second or two. I even switched the pictures to another flash drive thinking that was the problem...nope. Anyhow, I got my hair cut and had a pedicure and generally was a lazy thing but it's just what I needed as I was still recuperating from the cold/flu thing I had picked up a couple of weeks before. A friend from Australia was in town so we hung out along with my friend and homestay host, Claudia. There just could have been wine involved!
Rochester castle was impressive. (thanks for the tip Giselle!)
And just like that, it was time for Joanne to fly back home. Both of us were tired and under the weather by this point. We had been busy but what a great time we had!
I stayed on another week in London just relaxing and went on a day trip to Rochester in Kent to use up my rail pass. I kept that week pretty low key as I wanted to feel good for my time in Scandinavia. I joked with friends before I left on the trip how I would need a week to recuperate from our hectic three weeks schedule - and it turned out to be true! I had plans of getting new posts done but we know how that turned out...Honestly, I tried to blog and did one post that took me absolutely ages as my laptop refused to show the pictures for more than a second or two. I even switched the pictures to another flash drive thinking that was the problem...nope. Anyhow, I got my hair cut and had a pedicure and generally was a lazy thing but it's just what I needed as I was still recuperating from the cold/flu thing I had picked up a couple of weeks before. A friend from Australia was in town so we hung out along with my friend and homestay host, Claudia. There just could have been wine involved!
Rochester castle was impressive. (thanks for the tip Giselle!)
Rochester Cathedral - impressive inside and out!
A pub lunch was a must (pubs in London just aren't the same as in smaller places) and a ham and cheese ploughman's lunch hit the spot!
Rochester's High (Main to us North Americans) Street - it was a lovely town and one I'd like to return to one day.
I really enjoyed my day in Rochester. I will be writing more about it for sure.
Then it was time to go to...
(Wonderful Wonderful!) Copenhagen
I boarded an Easy Jet flight to Copenhagen on May 30th to start a four-week visit to four countries. I stayed in a great Airbnb (once I found it!) in the southern suburbs of Copenhagen, just a stone's throw from a beach. I had purchased a three day Copenhagen card which included public transport as well as admission to a lot of attractions. I buzzed around like a madwoman for those three days visiting such places as Christianborg Palace, Rosenborg Palace, the National Museum, the amusement park Tivoli, the hippy area of Christiania and the busy but pretty area of Nyhavn.
The pretty harbour of Nyhavn drew me back again and again - as it did with lots of tourists...
Taking a trip around the canals is a must when you are in Copenhagen. (included with my Copenhagen card!)
Another canal in the Christianborg area.
Rosenborg Slot (Palace) was beautiful and surrounded by a lovely park.
When I think of Copenhagen I think of smorbrod! ! (open faced sandwiches) My favourite was shrimp, egg and mayo.
I can remember peering longingly through the closed gates of the Tivoli Amusement Park back in 1984 on my first visit. It was late September and Tivoli was closed for the season. I made sure I spent an evening there this time and while there were lots of rides I ignored them (something I wouldn't have done back in 1984 - I loved wild rides!) and enjoyed the beautiful buildings and gardens. (included on my Copenhagen card!)
The bad part...my Mastercard did not work. It said "invalid PIN". To make a long story short it turned out to be hacked. You will read all about it believe me. Thank goodness I had a back up credit card although that failed me twice. My anxiety really got a work out on this trip.
Bisserup
Bisserup was probably my favourite part of my time in Scandinavia. My Danish friend Berit, German friend Claudia and me have been talking about getting together for years now and it finally happened. As Berit has a small house she rented a flat for Claudia and I to stay in for the six nights. She insisted on fixing us breakfast so every morning we sat down to this...
and we walked home every evening - usually the only exercise we got! We saw these characters (and another smaller family on the other side of the road) every day on our way to and from. I never thought I'd see Highland Cows in Denmark!
Berit and her husband Alfred took us all over the place including the Viking museum in Roskilde which was fascinating. But the best part was just being together and having great conversations, lots of laughs, great food and wine. We wandered the village and I especially loved our walks by the sea. We had a view of the sea out our kitchen window.
And yes there were quite a few of these cottages with thatched roofs!
After six days I was getting a bit itchy for the city as I am definitely a city girl...so it was off to Copenhagen for one night before heading by train (first class no less) to..
I took this picture of the main square in the Gamla Stan (Old Town) mid-morning - by the afternoon it was heaving with people.
Sadly the Royal Suite was closed the day I visited the Royal Palace and stayed closed throughout my stay. Ah well...next time!
Visiting Skansen, Stockholm's Open Air Museum highlighting historical buildings of Sweden was an absolute delight.
This is a typical Swedish barn from "back in the day". They even had farm animals (sheeep!!!)
Stockholm's metro system was visually a work of art. I spent part of a day just going all over the system taking photographs. There will definitely be a post on this.
Included in my Stockholm Pass was a boat trip around the Archipelago of Stockholm. Sadly I could not locate the boat that I had been given a ticket to at the stand several blocks away and by the time I found it the boat was almost full. I tried to get off once I saw how crowded it was but they wouldn't let me leave. I got this picture in between arms. So frustrating!
The famous Rock church which was created out of solid rock in 1989. The acoustics are excellent - I wish I could have attended a concert there.
This is the Sibelius Monument, dedicated to Finland's most famous composer. Its 600 steel pipes evoke a sound wave in their formation.
Tuomiokirkko, Helsinki's Lutheran Cathedral
While Suomenlinna was once an important military fortress and is one of the top things to visit in Helsinki I wandered along the coastline of the island and admired the beautiful sea views.
A quiet(ish) side street in central Helsinki
Aleksander Nevsky Cathedral which is in Toompea - the "Upper Town"
Here's a view of the "Lower Town" from a viewing platform in Toompea.
Beautiful Kadriorg Park
Kadriorg Palace which houses the Kadriorg Art Museum
The Estonian Open Air Museum was a peaceful place to come my last day in Tallinn.
and we walked home every evening - usually the only exercise we got! We saw these characters (and another smaller family on the other side of the road) every day on our way to and from. I never thought I'd see Highland Cows in Denmark!
Berit and her husband Alfred took us all over the place including the Viking museum in Roskilde which was fascinating. But the best part was just being together and having great conversations, lots of laughs, great food and wine. We wandered the village and I especially loved our walks by the sea. We had a view of the sea out our kitchen window.
And yes there were quite a few of these cottages with thatched roofs!
After six days I was getting a bit itchy for the city as I am definitely a city girl...so it was off to Copenhagen for one night before heading by train (first class no less) to..
Stockholm, Sweden
My arrival in Stockholm was quite stressful - my credit card (unknown to me at the time) had been hacked and didn't work (nothing like holding up a line at the metro station trying to get your card to work and the transit clerk asking if I wrote my PIN down like I was some old doolally dear....grrrr!) and not only did I have trouble finding my Airbnb but I was supposed to phone when I was outside the building and my phone (which had a Vodafone SIM that was supposed to work throughout Europe) wasn't working in Sweden. Long story (you will hear the whole sad thing eventually) but I did get in but I never felt the "warm and fuzzies" with this Airbnb and it was probably the worst one I've stayed in and I've stayed in over 30 of them. The bright spot about the Airbnb was a friendly lady from Singapore. We chatted each evening comparing notes on what we had done that day/were going to do the next day and on her last evening we visited a nearby pizza joint together. It was great to chat with another enthusiastic traveler. With Sweden being a pretty much cashless society I was nervous every time I handed them my Visa (even for a cup of coffee) which was my back up credit card. (Okay kids...ALWAYS carry two separate credit cards - tucked in different places of course!) until I finally felt that it was okay, it wouldn't fail me. (it had in Copenhagen twice previously) Probably due to all the stress I was feeling my cold/flu came back and my energy was zapped as well as feeling sick to my stomach every time I ate. (did that stop me? Noooo!)
Luckily I had a Stockholm card that I had booked online before I left home. I haven't sat down and worked out if I saved money (and probably never will) but it was certainly convenient especially with the credit card issue. Highlights were visiting the ABBA museum (not included on the card), the fantastic Vasa Museum as well as the Nordic Museum. I enjoyed a drink in an Ice Bar but the best bit? Finally seeing Phil Collins live in concert! He was so good! The weather was fantastic while I was in Scandinavia but of course it was prime tourist season so lots of those wandering about especially from the big cruise ships.
I took this picture of the main square in the Gamla Stan (Old Town) mid-morning - by the afternoon it was heaving with people.
Sadly the Royal Suite was closed the day I visited the Royal Palace and stayed closed throughout my stay. Ah well...next time!
Visiting Skansen, Stockholm's Open Air Museum highlighting historical buildings of Sweden was an absolute delight.
This is a typical Swedish barn from "back in the day". They even had farm animals (sheeep!!!)
Stockholm's metro system was visually a work of art. I spent part of a day just going all over the system taking photographs. There will definitely be a post on this.
Included in my Stockholm Pass was a boat trip around the Archipelago of Stockholm. Sadly I could not locate the boat that I had been given a ticket to at the stand several blocks away and by the time I found it the boat was almost full. I tried to get off once I saw how crowded it was but they wouldn't let me leave. I got this picture in between arms. So frustrating!
There was a huge outdoor as well as an indoor market here - I do love my markets!
I would love to see more of Sweden and I feel like Stockholm and I have unfinished business. I would love to go back in the off season (even winter) and definitely stay at a different place! Before I knew it my week in Stockholm was over and it was time to fly off to...
Helsinki, Finland
I loved my Airbnb in Helsinki which had a fantastic view of the sea from the balcony - I could see the Baltic ferries coming and going. My host Anni was a doll. I needed that! I visited the nearby island of Suomenlinna, the History Museum, the waterside market, the Sibilius monument and more. While Helsinki doesn't have the Old Town like Stockholm or the pretty waterside areas of Copenhagen it still has its own charms. I fell in love with Oodi, the new Helsinki Central Library; such fantastic Finnish design. And I had a traditional Finnish sauna - in Anni's apartment! Most homes come with a sauna in Finland - it's a national tradition/obsession.
The famous Rock church which was created out of solid rock in 1989. The acoustics are excellent - I wish I could have attended a concert there.
This is the Sibelius Monument, dedicated to Finland's most famous composer. Its 600 steel pipes evoke a sound wave in their formation.
Tuomiokirkko, Helsinki's Lutheran Cathedral
While Suomenlinna was once an important military fortress and is one of the top things to visit in Helsinki I wandered along the coastline of the island and admired the beautiful sea views.
A quiet(ish) side street in central Helsinki
This is the fabulous Oodi, Helsinki's brand new Central Library. Absolutely beautiful!
Then it was time to board the Tallink ferry for my last stop on this leg of the trip...
Tallinn, Estonia
I had booked a room in an Airbnb near the beautiful Kadriorg Park - it was literally a half block from the flat. While I had just booked a room the family was away at their "summer house" (what we would call "the cottage" in Canada) so Markku met me there and gave me an orientation of the flat which I had all to myself. The keys were a bit wonky so it was a bit stressful getting in and out. (like I needed more of that!) Old Town Tallinn was absolutely gorgeous and I loved the Estonian Open Air Museum which was much wilder than Skansen was. A visit to the KGB headquarters and prison cells where people were tortured and shot was a sobering experience. I also visited the Occupation Museum. This nation has been occupied by such countries as Denmark, Sweden, Russia and the USSR. Finally, in 1991 they got their independence - by singing! Google that one!
Aleksander Nevsky Cathedral which is in Toompea - the "Upper Town"
Here's a view of the "Lower Town" from a viewing platform in Toompea.
Beautiful Kadriorg Park
Kadriorg Palace which houses the Kadriorg Art Museum
The Estonian Open Air Museum was a peaceful place to come my last day in Tallinn.
And then it was time to go back to...
London Town
I spent the last three weeks of my overseas trip based in London. London is always a good idea for me and it was just what I needed. It was familiar to me but with lots of options to explore. And I sure did! I got back on the Capital Ring trail that circles around the suburbs of London, I attended a Village Fete in a friend's home village, took a friend out for a Birthday Afternoon Tea, spent days out in the Sussex countryside with friends, went to an "adults only" evening at London Zoo, spent warm evenings sitting in the back garden with Claudia and whoever else was there (usually with a glass of wine or one of M and S's special cans of mixed booze) and so much more.
On June 27th it was my friend and Homestay host extraordinaire Claudia's birthday so I took her out for Afternoon Tea. Claudia scored a voucher for 20 pounds for the two of us from "Wowcher" (yep, that's its name) so what a deal! It was at a hotel in the Paddington area and while I haven't been to that many Afternoon teas it certainly was the best one I've ever had. Everything was delicious and the dining room was lovely.
After missing out on the East End when over last year I finally got back there on a Sunday (the only time to go to catch the markets in full swing) and had my usual momo feast as well as looking at the Street Art.
And amen to the above statement....
I was lucky enough to almost walk right into a colourful parade celebrating Boishakhi Mela which is a New Years event that is celebrated by people of Bengalese (Bangladesh) descent all over the world. That's what I love about London; it is so diverse.
I plan to do a post on the East End of London on Sundays so you will see more of the above!
My Oz friend Loraine had come back to the house in May raving about Coal Drops Yard so it got put on "the list" after I had done my thing in the East End I hopped a bus over to Kings Cross and followed the herd there. They have really done a lot with a former area that housed coal drops. The coal came in on trains from the South Yorkshire coal mines, was dropped into the buildings and routed on by barges on the Regents Canal that flows along beside this area. Some coal was converted to coal gas in the nearby gas works which you can see behind - now being used as a frame for an apartment building. By the late 19th century electricity was taking over and the buildings became redundant and the Kings Cross area became known for prostitution, crime and drugs. It is wonderful to see it cleaned up and so vibrant even if most of the shops were out of range of my budget!
I couldn't resist taking a couple of shots of these kids frolicking in the water fountain but in these pc times I was very quick as I thought someone might think I was some kind of "perv". Sad, isn't it?
Very close by is a used book shop on the canal and below is the only proprietor I saw!
I walked through the Kings Cross tunnel that leads from Granary Square to Kings Cross station it has LED lights which are lit in different colours - these were for Pride.
And then it was July!
Over thirty years later I finally got back to Leeds Castle! It felt like the first time to me except for the view across the water....I took a ton of photos and there will definitely be a post on this beautiful castle. I loved it! However due to transport issues my visit there just wasn't long enough.
I spent a day with my friends Janette and Martyn. Martyn treated us all to a day out - admission to Michelham Priory, cake, coffee and lunch included. And then they drove me back to my friend Judi's place. And oh yes, did I mention they gave me lots of sheep gifts! I loved the priory and you will see more of that on here as well. A great day together! Thanks Martyn and Janette!
And I went to Brighton twice...
Here is the famous Banksy "Kissing Policeman" art...it is behind plexiglass.
A typical Brighton scene - a gull surveying its kingdom? Nope, scouting the area for ice creams or some chips to snatch!
Larry the Lobster....
The beautiful Brighton Pavilion. I have visited previously but I think I am due another visit...hmmm..yes that week in Sussex is sounding better all the time...
I had to make a quick trip over to Rottingdean for a walk around.
I was in Brighton for the first time in early July to have lunch with my friend Judi and her friend Sandy from the U.S. We had a great time wandering the seafront and had lunch at a restaurant on the beach - I had fish and chips of course! I couldn't resist hopping a bus over to Rottingdean and having another walk around. After my day with Janette and Martyn, they kindly drove me over to Judi's place where we celebrated our birthdays together with a lovely meal and wine. I stayed over and then we went for lunch in Brighton the next day. We had talked about celebrating our birthdays together for a while and we finally did it!
I love exploring new parts of London and Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens had long been on "the list". Well the gardens themselves weren't anything too exciting but I loved Vauxhall City farm. They had alpacas, goats and sheep to name a few. What's not to love? London has several of these City farms and it's a chance for inner-city kids to see typical farm animals as well as a few exotics.
My friend Irene also has a July birthday so I went to Buckinghamshire to spend the day with her and her husband David. We went to the village fete where we had tea and cake and then they took me for a drive around the area to Ivinghoe Beacon. A great day!
There were three new pelicans (Sun, Moon and Star) who had arrived from Prague Zoo to take up residence in St James's Park so I got to see them from a distance. The "old guard" of three were having nothing to do with these youngsters at that time but from what I hear now they are all great buddies.
The fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square has a change of statue every couple of years. The current one is called "The Invisible Enemy Should not Exist" by Michael Rakowitz. It is a reproduction of the sculpture Lamassu which was destroyed by ISIS in 2015.
Then I went to the Garden at 120 which has a 14th-floor view, is completely free and you can just turn up. I had heard of it but Linda had visited and raved about it so I knew it was something I wanted to see. I am sure as it becomes more well known it will get busier but for now I was able to walk right in. It has a unique perspective of the surrounding area and I got a great view of my building crush, St Mary Axe; better known locally as The Gherkin.
I then staggered over to the Hung, Drawn and Quartered Pub and had a cold coke and a bag of crisps (chips to we North Americans). I was so hot and tired that I knew an alcoholic drink would be the end of it for me and the day wasn't over yet! The Japanese meal that evening was so much fun and we all were full. Too full to have more birthday cake afterwards...but that's okay, it makes a good breakfast!
The next day was my last day in London and I had so many plans but my body let me know in no uncertain terms it was worn out. I had to go and see Tower Bridge close up and wander the South side of the Thames one more time. Well I didn't last long but I did have my last 99 flake ice cream cone sitting near the bridge.
This dog fountain was just a half-block away from the restaurant we ate at in Toronto...I went totally nuts! I've seen many a gorgeous fountain in my time but this was the best ever!
Nutella and banana beaver tail...num, num...
On June 27th it was my friend and Homestay host extraordinaire Claudia's birthday so I took her out for Afternoon Tea. Claudia scored a voucher for 20 pounds for the two of us from "Wowcher" (yep, that's its name) so what a deal! It was at a hotel in the Paddington area and while I haven't been to that many Afternoon teas it certainly was the best one I've ever had. Everything was delicious and the dining room was lovely.
After missing out on the East End when over last year I finally got back there on a Sunday (the only time to go to catch the markets in full swing) and had my usual momo feast as well as looking at the Street Art.
And amen to the above statement....
I was lucky enough to almost walk right into a colourful parade celebrating Boishakhi Mela which is a New Years event that is celebrated by people of Bengalese (Bangladesh) descent all over the world. That's what I love about London; it is so diverse.
I plan to do a post on the East End of London on Sundays so you will see more of the above!
My Oz friend Loraine had come back to the house in May raving about Coal Drops Yard so it got put on "the list" after I had done my thing in the East End I hopped a bus over to Kings Cross and followed the herd there. They have really done a lot with a former area that housed coal drops. The coal came in on trains from the South Yorkshire coal mines, was dropped into the buildings and routed on by barges on the Regents Canal that flows along beside this area. Some coal was converted to coal gas in the nearby gas works which you can see behind - now being used as a frame for an apartment building. By the late 19th century electricity was taking over and the buildings became redundant and the Kings Cross area became known for prostitution, crime and drugs. It is wonderful to see it cleaned up and so vibrant even if most of the shops were out of range of my budget!
I couldn't resist taking a couple of shots of these kids frolicking in the water fountain but in these pc times I was very quick as I thought someone might think I was some kind of "perv". Sad, isn't it?
Very close by is a used book shop on the canal and below is the only proprietor I saw!
I walked through the Kings Cross tunnel that leads from Granary Square to Kings Cross station it has LED lights which are lit in different colours - these were for Pride.
And then it was July!
Over thirty years later I finally got back to Leeds Castle! It felt like the first time to me except for the view across the water....I took a ton of photos and there will definitely be a post on this beautiful castle. I loved it! However due to transport issues my visit there just wasn't long enough.
Three day trips to Sussex
Sussex is one of my favourite counties in England. The sea, the Seven Sisters, the downs, castles, easy access to London...what's not to love? I really think it's time I base myself there again..maybe in that lovely Airbnb in Rottingdean I stayed last year....hmmmm...
And I went to Brighton twice...
Here is the famous Banksy "Kissing Policeman" art...it is behind plexiglass.
A typical Brighton scene - a gull surveying its kingdom? Nope, scouting the area for ice creams or some chips to snatch!
Larry the Lobster....
The beautiful Brighton Pavilion. I have visited previously but I think I am due another visit...hmmm..yes that week in Sussex is sounding better all the time...
I had to make a quick trip over to Rottingdean for a walk around.
I was in Brighton for the first time in early July to have lunch with my friend Judi and her friend Sandy from the U.S. We had a great time wandering the seafront and had lunch at a restaurant on the beach - I had fish and chips of course! I couldn't resist hopping a bus over to Rottingdean and having another walk around. After my day with Janette and Martyn, they kindly drove me over to Judi's place where we celebrated our birthdays together with a lovely meal and wine. I stayed over and then we went for lunch in Brighton the next day. We had talked about celebrating our birthdays together for a while and we finally did it!
I love exploring new parts of London and Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens had long been on "the list". Well the gardens themselves weren't anything too exciting but I loved Vauxhall City farm. They had alpacas, goats and sheep to name a few. What's not to love? London has several of these City farms and it's a chance for inner-city kids to see typical farm animals as well as a few exotics.
My friend Irene also has a July birthday so I went to Buckinghamshire to spend the day with her and her husband David. We went to the village fete where we had tea and cake and then they took me for a drive around the area to Ivinghoe Beacon. A great day!
And then it was my Birthday!
Being in London on my birthday has been on "the list" forever. In fact, July is the only month I hadn't been in England so being as the trip started at the end of April I thought hmmm..why not extend it to July. I am so glad I did! July 17th was a magical day starting with a birthday cake that Claudia had made for me (orange chocolate with melted chocolate icing), a couple of hours spent relaxing in St James's Park (my favourite place in London), a stroll around iconic London sights such as Trafalgar Square and the area around St Paul's Cathedral, a visit to the Garden at 120, a drink in the Hung, Drawn and Quartered Pub and then a fab Japanese meal in Soho with Claudia, her son Allessandro, brother Marco, her mom and my Oz friend Linda. Linda and I met at Claudia's last year. It looked like our time in London wasn't going to jive this year sadly. Claudia and I were sitting in the back garden a couple of evenings before my birthday when who comes through the back door but Linda? She had decided to forego crowded Amsterdam and fly back o London - she and Claudia had cooked it up between them. What a great surprise! That is one of the great things about staying in Homestays rather than hotels. It's easier to meet people and I had met some interesting people but my two faves are my buds Linda and Loraine, both from Australia and of course my homestay host Claudia and her son. Now we try to coordinate our times in London together so we can hang out. It was a fantastic day and I will be doing a post on it..eventually.
What's a better way to start your birthday than with chocolate birthday cake. The number might be 67 but when it comes to chocolate I am eternally 6 years old.
There were three new pelicans (Sun, Moon and Star) who had arrived from Prague Zoo to take up residence in St James's Park so I got to see them from a distance. The "old guard" of three were having nothing to do with these youngsters at that time but from what I hear now they are all great buddies.
The fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square has a change of statue every couple of years. The current one is called "The Invisible Enemy Should not Exist" by Michael Rakowitz. It is a reproduction of the sculpture Lamassu which was destroyed by ISIS in 2015.
Then I went to the Garden at 120 which has a 14th-floor view, is completely free and you can just turn up. I had heard of it but Linda had visited and raved about it so I knew it was something I wanted to see. I am sure as it becomes more well known it will get busier but for now I was able to walk right in. It has a unique perspective of the surrounding area and I got a great view of my building crush, St Mary Axe; better known locally as The Gherkin.
I then staggered over to the Hung, Drawn and Quartered Pub and had a cold coke and a bag of crisps (chips to we North Americans). I was so hot and tired that I knew an alcoholic drink would be the end of it for me and the day wasn't over yet! The Japanese meal that evening was so much fun and we all were full. Too full to have more birthday cake afterwards...but that's okay, it makes a good breakfast!
The next day was my last day in London and I had so many plans but my body let me know in no uncertain terms it was worn out. I had to go and see Tower Bridge close up and wander the South side of the Thames one more time. Well I didn't last long but I did have my last 99 flake ice cream cone sitting near the bridge.
But the trip wasn't quite over yet. I flew back to Toronto via Halifax (where I had to have an overpriced lobster roll at the airport). I then spent five nights with my sister in Hamilton. My niece Erin treated us to a wonderful Birthday meal in Toronto (my sister's birthday is five days after mine; I was supposed to be a 6th birthday present but I jumped the gun a bit) and we spent Colleen's birthday on Toronto Island where we feasted on such healthy things as pizza and Beavertails (fried dough with all sorts of naughty things on it) but we did lots of walking! I can't go to Hamilton now without having "naked" fish and chips at the Harbour diner and they didn't disappoint. It was a great time. I do love Toronto - not to live there but to visit as much as I can.
This dog fountain was just a half-block away from the restaurant we ate at in Toronto...I went totally nuts! I've seen many a gorgeous fountain in my time but this was the best ever!
Nutella and banana beaver tail...num, num...
There were gorgeous walks on Toronto Island - this one was along Lake Ontario.
And then I flew home.
While this trip isn't in the top ten of the trips I have taken the good still outweighed the bad. My anxiety reached an all-time peak in Scandinavia and things that normally wouldn't bother me had me nervous. Every time I arrived in a new place I was a wreck. Scandinavia should have been easy but I just could not relax. Every time I tried to relax something happened that got me upset and I was a nervous wreck again.
I was ready to come home... It was time. Maybe it's time to shorten my holidays and go more often? Time will tell. I know I will be back. I get asked "where next" and honestly I don't know. I think I am due for some "home time" and I am happy here. For now that is.
Stay tuned (but don't hold your breath) for my next post which is all about Scotland!
Comments