Visit a Botanic Garden for a Trip to the Tropics
Strictly speaking, a botanic garden can be any garden with a wide selection of plants that are labelled with their scientific name. In practice, most botanic gardens are large gardens that a well kept and open to the public. Many of them have large glasshouses, which makes them attractive destinations for a day out when the weather is cool.
Entry to the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh is free, but there is a charge for the glasshouses (£4 per adult). The glasshouses there are very extensive, and you could easily spend a half day wandering about admiring the plants and enjoying the warm air. There is a restaurant within the garden, but as with all gardens you can take your own picnic and enjoy is in a quiet spot.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales (NBGW) is more expensive (£8.50) but it is also more extensive. There are many indoor exhibits; I particularly enjoyed one about the use of plants in medicines that included the recreation of a Victorian chemist shop.
The central glasshouse at the NBGW is a huge dome in which the plants are divided into geographic zones. There are intriguing pieces of sculpture dotted among the plants, providing some added interest. If your main objective is to escape the weather, there is a cafe inside the glasshouse, so you can stay indoors for hours.
The NBGW is the newest botanic garden in the United Kingdom and as a result are probably the most accessible for those with disabilities.
One of my favourites is the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. The site is about 40 acres in size, so there is plenty to explore. The range of glasshouses is well stocked and there is always a selection of plants in flower. The cafe within the gardens has been rebuilt since my last visit. I hope they are still serving delicious cake (the website says that there is still cake). Admission is charged from 1st March to 31st October and at weekends at the rate of £4 per adult. Children must be accompanied and are admitted for free.
National Trust
National Trust properties frequently hold special events that
give a flavour of what life at the property might have been like in times gone by. A recent visit by Pat and her Wonderful Husband to Cilgerran Castle (near Cardigan in Wales) provided the unexpected bonus of an archery display, falcons and the general fun of people dressed in medieval costumes.
Annual membership of the National Trust is fantastic value for money. Pat has been a member of the National Trust for Scotland for years, and Tricia joined the National Trust about 2 years ago. These are separate organisations but have a reciprocal admissions policy, so that membership of one Trust gives entry to any property in the United Kingdom.
Payment of an annual fee to the National Trust (or National Trust for Scotland) entitles a member to free entry and also free car parking.
In our case, paying an annual fee encourages us to plan days out so that we do get full value from membership.
One of our favourite destinations is Sissinghurst Castle Garden. We have visited once a year for the three years; each time we have gone in a different month to see varied aspects of this wonderful garden.
Sissinghurst Castle Garden is near Cranbrook, Kent. It is one of the world’s most celebrated gardens, created by Vita Sackville-West and her husband Sir Harold Nicolson.
The garden surrounds the surviving parts of an Elizabethan mansion with a central red-brick tower. Sissinghurst Castle Garden is not a garden of grand vistas, but a series of enclosed areas, with different colours and themes. The White Garden was the first of its kind; the idea has been replicated in many other gardens.
We try to arrive at opening time (usually 11am) as the gardens are very popular. This allows us a chance to see the gardens as their best, and then enjoy lunch in the on-site restaurant. We have found this is a good pattern to follow when visiting other National Trust properties, as they are often crowded later in the day, particularly during school holidays and weekends.
Most National Trust properties are closed during the winter months, but you can check their website to find any that may be open in your area.
Holiday in Carmarthenshire
Pat writes:
I recently enjoyed a short break in Carmarthenshire, an area of Southwest Wales that is full of natural beauty and history.
My friends and I stayed at the Cawdor Arms in Llandeilo. The Cawdor is a historic coaching inn, now extensively renovated and one of the growing number of boutique hotels in Wales. It provided a comfortable base for our short holiday in Carmarthenshire.
For those wishing to visit Carmarthenshire without spending as much on accommodation, there are plenty of bed and breakfast establishments as well as a choice of Welsh campsites.
Llandeilo offers an interesting selection of individual shops and cafes, and there are many information boards and plaques to highlight the history of the houses and buildings.
Llandeilo is well situated for visiting the National Botanic Garden of Wales – you can read more about this destination at this link. This is a fairly new garden, but already full of beautiful plants, an amazing glass house and interesting displays. There is another fine garden at Aberglasney, a very short distance from Llandeilo.
Aberglasney offers a beautiful historic house as well as the garden. There is further opportunity to visit a historic house and garden at Dinefwr Park, a National Trust Property located on the edge of Llandeilo.
Carmarthenshire boasts many historic churches and sites. The
Rebecca Riots took place in this area in the late 1830’s to early 1840’s, and could provide an interesting base for a historic tour of Carmarthenshire.
Make time to visit Laugharne to look at the Norman castle that overlooks the beautiful bay. Walk along the path past Laugharne Castle to visit the restored writing shed of Dylan Thomas, or the Boat House where he lived for the final years of his life. It was while living almost in the shadow of Laugharne Castle that he wrote “Under Milk Wood”, which some consider his masterpiece.
Explore your local museum
There is so much choice. Here are a few exhibitions that we would like to see:
Shining Lights: Discover the story of the people who designed, built and operated Scotland’s lighthouses, lighting a safe passage for mariners for 250 years. This exhibition, which is free, is at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh until 3rd April 2011. The entire museum (including the cafe) is thoroughly recommended.
The Poetry of Drawing: Pre-Raphaelite Designs, Studies and Watercolours. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery owns a world-class collection of Pre-Raphaelite art, and this exhibiton draws on that collection. In addition, key works are on loan from private and public collections, including drawings that have never before been exhibited.
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of radical young artists who banded together in London in 1848, revolutionised British art. This exhibition explores the vital role played by drawing and design in the work of the Brotherhood, their associates and followers.
The exhibition will be at Birmingham Museum from 29th January to 15th May 2011. It will also be on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney from 17th June to 4th September 2011.
Paul Nash & Fay Godwin: A photography exhibition of the work of two different artists with a common interest: landscape. The photographs by Fay Godwin were originally published in collaboration with the poet Ted Hughes in 1979, with a focus on the Calder Valley, West Yorkshire. Paul Nash is best known for his paintings, but came to landscape photography late in his career.
See this exhibition at the Graves Gallery, Sheffield until 19th March 2011.
Dorset Staycation
Tricia writes:
This year, we decided to holiday in the UK. We had never holidayed in Poole or Bournemouth, so corrected this with a six night Dorset stay.
We spent our first four nights camping at a quiet site in Lychett Minster, Dorset, just outside of Poole.
Lychett Minster village, with its thatched buildings, is spread out along the A35. On our first evening we enjoyed a lovely meal with a complimentary bottle of wine in the garden of the interestingly named St. Peter’s Finger pub. Needless to say, that evening we left the car at the camp site and walked. There was a craft centre based in farm buildings around a courtyard situated across a field from the campsite. There were shops selling pottery, crafts, knitting yarn plus wonderful fudge and a restaurant.
We explored the beautiful, sandy beaches around Poole, including famous Sandbanks Beach. This beach has golden sand on one side and the sheltered waters of Poole harbour behind. Perfect for families with young children, Sandbanks Beach slopes gently to the sea and is wonderful for paddling. The sands are great for traditional holidays creating sandcastles and burying dad or mum in the sand. We played a round on the crazy golf course and visited the cafe, although we found the latter rather expensive.
The town of Poole has a modern shopping complex, plus a traditional high street crossed by a railway crossing. The High Street leads down to an interesting quay area with fifteenth century buildings. There is a variety of restaurants in the quay which buzz in the evenings. Whilst in Poole, I visited the Lush and B Never too
Busy to Be Beautiful shop in the Old High Street. Lush sells gorgeous products, such as bath bombs and face creams using fresh, natural ingredients. B Never too Busy to Be Beautiful is linked with Lush. The Poole shop is an emporium of colour and sparkle. Shoppers are encouraged to try out products; there are makeup stations with mirrors and tester samples. Whilst there, I heard phrases such as, “I love this shop”. Fairly traded ingredients are used; hence you can indulge with a clear conscience. On purchase, my mascara, which cost a reasonable £8.00, was placed in a pretty little bag with a blue flower tie, which would make a gift really special. I loved being in both Lush and B Never too Busy to Be Beautiful and plan to return for Christmas shopping.
During our holiday, we visited Studland Bay on the Isle of Purbeck. Studland Bay is a series of beautiful National Trust beaches. The beaches are sandy with sailing dinghies such as the laser fun and laser pico plus pedalos and windsurfers available to hire. On our return, for just three pounds, we took the car onto the chain ferry from Studland to Sandbanks across the mouth of Poole Harbour, thus avoiding the summer traffic congestion on the A35 and shaving around twenty miles off our journey.
For our final two nights, we had booked a hotel on Bournemouth’s West Cliff through laterooms.com. Booking through laterooms.com saved £110.00 on our peak season hotel booking. The hotel was situated in a popular location on the cliff-tops. We were a five minute walk from a steep, zigzag path which accessed the sandy beach with its adjoining rows of picturesque beach huts. There was a railway lift down to the beach if required.
Poole and Bournemouth are both perfect for a traditional family beach holiday but you do need to be prepared for zoo and cinema visits if the weather fails you. Expect heavy traffic and fully booked campsites and hotels in peak season. Would we go again? Definitely.
Surprising Sheffield
Sheffield was synonymous with steel when I was growing up. Steel was forged is vast mills and the metal was crafted into knives and cutlery with a worldwide reputation for quality.
Changes in manufacturing and world economics brought closure to the steel meals which could have resulted in Sheffield becoming a run-down and depressed city. Instead, it is rapidly becoming a prime destination for shopping, leisure and sports activities.
I travelled to Sheffield by train (with Wonderful Husband) to meet friends for a weekend. We booked to see a play at the newly refurbished Crucible Theatre and planned some shopping and sight-seeing.
Serious money has been spent on rejuvenating the city centre. The area outside the central railway station has been transformed into an elaborate and extensive modern water feature. This is just a taste of the development of open spaces in the city centre.
The City Council produces a leaflet on the ‘Sheffield City Centre Tour’ that provides a map of major schemes and developments. The leaflet explains that City Centre Ambassadors are present on the streets throughout the day to help the public enjoy the city centre. The Ambassadors give advice on locations, monitor public spaces, offer first response to emergencies and have environmental enforcement powers. They work in partnership with South Yorkshire Police.
From my observations their presence has a positive effect; everywhere we went seemed reasonable clean and felt safe.
For me, the highlight of the city centre is the Winter Gardens, a modern version of the large glasshouses that the Victorians built in public parks. Sheffield’s Winter Gardens provides a warm, dry and pleasant place to sit down, meet friends or have a coffee.
The Millennium Galleries open off the Winter Gardens and offer a mix of permanent exhibitions and temporary displays. We enjoyed a very accessible contemporary art event called ‘Code Craft’. This looked at the creative impact of computer programming, which sounds possibly sounds dull but was comprised of large and colourful images. The one shown in the photo was interactive – when someone in front of the screen moved, shapes and images of colour appeared on the screen. Children loved it, and I witnessed several adults playing with the colours.
Meadowhall shopping centre is near the city centre and easily accessible on the modern tram system. The city centre also offers a good selection of shops, including a large John Lewis store.
Sheffield has many hotels for all price ranges and a variety of restaurants. In my experience it is a good place to go for a weekend break.
Malta
Pat writes:
I visited Malta for the first time this year, during the first week of November.
Although this was definitely an ‘off peak’ holiday, with significant savings over a break during the usual season, the weather was very pleasantly warm. This should not have surprised me, given the location of Malta.
Malta is the most southerly European country, situated about half way between Sicily and North Africa, in the approximate middle of the Mediterranean.
When we were considering a visit to Malta, we became interested in the history of the island. Malta is very tiny, comprised of only 122 square miles, but it is packed with interesting places to visit.
We decided to book a hotel in Valletta, the capital city, as this enabled us to easily travel by bus to most parts of the island.
It appears to me that one could have two very different sorts of holiday on Malta, either a beach holiday or a touring holiday.
If you like swimming in the sea or lying under an umbrella and relaxing, there is a wide choice of ‘beach resort’ hotels on Malta.
Most of these offer all inclusive packages that would make for a very relaxing holiday. The weather between May and October can almost be guaranteed to be warm. When we were there in November I saw many people swimming in the sea – and the beaches were beautiful.
Those who are interested in the history of the island, or who want to see a variety of places, should consider staying in Valletta.
Valletta has very narrow streets, many of which do not allow car traffic, so it is surprisingly quiet.
We stayed in the Hotel Osborne, which has a central location. We paid less than £400 for the two of us for a week’s stay on a bed and breakfast basis. The staff were friendly and helpful. Our room was very clean and the beds were comfortable, but we thought it gloomy. There was a stain on the ceiling and one of the light fittings was broken. However, the hotel is closing for renovation this winter, so should be more attractive in 2010.
I enjoyed strolling the streets of Valletta admiring the wealth of detail on the old buildings, window shopping, gazing across the vast harbour and people watching. There are many cafes and restaurants, mostly very reasonable priced.
If you do visit Malta, be sure to visit Mdina. This is one of Europe’s finest medieval walled cities. It is a short bus ride from Valletta, and also accessible from most of the resort areas on the island. Mdina is perched on a hilltop, and crowned by the dome of its cathedral.
Just outside the walls of Mdina you will find Rabat, which also boasts a history stretching back several centuries as well as some of the island’s more unusual attractions. The apostle Paul was shipwrecked on Malta, and is alleged to have lived for a time in a cave at Rabat now known as St Paul’s Grotto. There are also two complexes of 4th century catacombs that are open to visitors.
In my opinion the prettiest place that we visited was Marsaxlokk Bay, where the harbour is full of brightly painted boats. These
are traditional Maltese fishing boats, called ‘luzzos’. The design of these boats dates back to Phoenician days. Almost all of the boats are decorated with an eye, carved out and painted on either side of the prow. It is said to be the eye of Osiris, a good luck charm intended to ward off the devil.
We flew from Gatwick to Malta (and back) on EasyJet flights, and booked the hotel via an online agency. This enabled us to enjoy a week’s holiday at a very reasonable price, and cost more than if we had booked an all-in package. I am not claiming this was a low cost holiday; if we had really wanted to go somewhere warm at a budget price we would have looked for a last minute package and not been rigid about destination. Malta is a member of the European Community, so we carried out European health insurance cards (EHIC). In addition we have a travel insurance policy that would cover items such as transport home should illness or accident cause us to change our travel arrangements.
If you are thinking about a holiday based in Valletta, I would advise using public transport rather than hiring a car. Our hotel had no parking, and many of the streets in the city do not allow traffic. The bus system is very cheap and serves most of the island. Follow this link for more information on Malta Bus Travel
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Pat and Tricia Visit Harrods.
Tricia writes:
Much to the amazement of Pat, I had never entered Harrods. This was in spite of working in my student days as a temporary clerk typist in central London. In the early 1970s, I was focused on Biba, Selfridges andPetticoat Lane plus trendy bookshops. Pat had experienced lovely Harrods lunches and shopping trips, so was keen to enlighten me.
Our trip was for fun rather than shopping as prices in Harrods do reflect the store’s reputation, unless of course it is sale time. Harrods is located in Knightsbridge,London on the Brompton Road and is one of the largest stores in the world.
On arrival, I noticed how beautiful all the Harrods’ store displays were. Without exception, articles were carefully displayed in spacious surroundings. The atmosphere in the store was grand indeed; I was glad that I had dressed a little smarter than I would usually for a shopping trip. The vastness of the ceilings and the glamour of the Egyptian staircase were particularly impressive. A refined piece of bling, perhaps?
On arrival, we decided to have a light snack. There are many different eating areas; we chose the Terrace Bar on the fourth floor. This was near to the piano in the adjoining glamorous Georgian Restaurant, hence we had the benefit of music whilst we lunched. Our light snacks turned out to be somewhat larger than we expected. Yes, the sandwiches and light bites were the most expensive I have ever enjoyed, but they were good value due to the quality of the food and presentation. Free extras such as lovely olive bread rolls and coffee top ups made the occasion perfect. The staff were wonderful, indulging us delightfully. We felt quite spoiled.
Repenting of our indulgences, we took the stairs to the fifth floor. Over lunch, we had both perused the store guide to decide our plan of attack. I wanted to visit the fitness area on the fifth floor where I received a short demonstration and taster at the Power Plate Studio. These machines have vibrating platforms which wobble your wobbly bits intensely. Must be good.
Pet Kingdom, on the fourth floor, famous for the provision of unusual pets, is now reduced in size and quite tame. Cute cats and rabbits are to view in large pens behind a long, glass window during restricted times. Children were fascinated, so worth a visit if you have the kids in tow.
The furniture on the third floor was inspirational to look at, but not within most budgets. I loved the clear cut lines of the spacious displays in the Bo Concept area. The huge variety of designs, from traditional to contemporary, accounted for all tastes.
The Shoe Boudoir on the first floor was a dream, even if it made me feel like Cinderella’s ugly sister. Shoes were displayed with plenty of space around each pair, allowing the colour and design to stand out.
Shop floor staff are required to dress smartly. The beauty sales staff all dress to the same code of a black suit with white shirt, plus make up with a bright lipstick which gives a co-ordinated feel to the department. The staff were very helpful; I had a skincare consultation at the Clarins counter and Pat received advice on applying lipstick. We were given Sisley skincare samples too which should be a real treat to try out. Sisley are a Parisian company that produce higher end plant based anti ageing skin-care products.
My favourite Harrods departments were the food halls. These were packed with atmosphere. I loved the high ceilings with their painted designs, the helpful staff plus the abundance of colour. The variety of high quality products on display was amazing.
In spite of all temptation, we did stick to our resolve regarding spending, our one big splash out was on our light lunch. The visit made a great day out.
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Kefalonia
Tricia writes:
Tricia in Kefalonia
View Tricia's 2010 calendar of beautiful Kefalonia scenes on lulu
http://www.lulu.com/browse/preview.php?fCID=7132691
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This year I visited the Greek Ionian Island of Kefalonia. The advantage of a late May holiday for us was that temperatures were hot at around 32C but hadn’t reached their summer peaks.
Kefalonia lives up to its reputation as a very pretty island. It is mountainous, so if you dislike driving on mountain roads it perhaps isn’t the best of the Greek islands to visit, but the scenery is stunning.
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Spartia Beach
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We stayed just outside the southern village of Spartia, about a mile uphill from a beautiful sandy bay with beach restaurants. The village itself also had three tavernas and a couple of Greek style mini supermarkets. Buildings on Kefalonia are almost all post 1953 as this was the year when many of the buildings were lost in an earthquake. To see original Venetian houses it is best to visit the northern fishing village of Fiskardo which was spared.
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Fiskardo
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The island is largely undeveloped, with the tourist towns being small by UK standards and the night life is fairly quiet in most places. However, if you enjoy eating in tavernas in beautiful surroundings Kefalonia is wonderful. There are opportunities for a little snorkelling around the beaches but boat trips are limited. We could only find trips that were rather costly and involved a whole day out. There was little in the way of crazy golf and tourist attractions but a visit to caves and an underground lake was awe inspiring.
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Melissani Caves
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Our trip was arranged through Sunvil, who were fantastic throughout. Our journey from Gatwick took about six and a half hours including the short transfer to our accommodation, so we were by the pool at about 2.30pm Greek time (two hours behind UK summer time). We stayed at the Poseidon apartments which were meant to be self catering. However, the lovely little pool bar provided breakfasts, lunches and drinks plus there was a limited daily cleaning service for our apartment. All we had to do was to make the occasional drink and wash up a few cups.
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Poseidon Apartments, Spartia
All four of us had a relaxing break and thoroughly enjoyed the Greek sunshine.
Google Map: http://www.greeka.com/ionian/kefalonia/google-maps/index.htm
Tourist Infomation:
http://www.greeka.com/ionian/kefalonia/kefalonia-tourism.htm
Sunvil:
http://greece-holidays.sunvil.co.uk/sunvil/home/destinations/Greece/Kefalonia/South_Kefalonia/properties/Residence_Poseidon.asp
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Turkish Baths at Portobello Swim Centre, Edinburgh
Pat commissioned Beautiful Daughter to check out the Turkish Baths at Portobello. These are described on the website as one of the few original Turkish Baths still in use in the UK. Here’s her report:
The entry fee was £5.40 on a weekday. My friend didn’t have to pay anything because she has an Edinburgh Leisure Pass.
I telephoned in advance to ask about opening times. The person who advised me omitted to tell me that I was attending a women only session. Fortunately, I went with a girlfriend
When we arrived we were directed to upstairs changing rooms, and told we could access the swimming pool as well as the Turkish Baths. However, we could not find a door that led to the main pool.
There were notices on the wall instructing patrons to wear swimming costumes.
Everybody was friendly, and some people were obviously regulars. I was happy it was a women only session.
There were not very many loungers for relaxation in the various rooms, and I was disappointed with the décor. The walls were tiled only half way up, and the paint colours above were dull. That could be the Victorian style.
The one thing that I really didn’t like was that in every room, a very loud loud speaker delivered staff announcements and information for the public!
But, on the whole, it was quite fun, and I would go again if I had an Edinburgh Leisure Pass.
Thinking of a short break or day trip?
Why not try Chichester, the county town of West Sussex. It offers lovely shopping, interesting things to see and do, and it is packed with beautiful buildings. For more information, see our Hub Pages article on Chichester.
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