Harrogate, Skipton and Knaresborough

We booked into the 3* White Hart Hotel and Conference Centre in Harrogate via the Late Rooms website. The good thing about Late Rooms is that you do not pay any extra booking fees and you actually pay at the Hotel. We paid £70 bed and breakfast for the room and would definitely recommend Late Rooms and the White Hart Hotel. It is in a great location and is only a few minutes walk from the town centre and the breakfast was buffet style and there was loads of choice. The White Hart Hotel has ample parking which is free for residents and the staff were friendly and helpful.

On the way to Harrogate, we stopped off at Skipton to have a look around and visit the market. Skipton is a market town which has a castle, Canal and the famous Market which takes place on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday on the High Street. It was very busy and car parks spaces are scarce but it is a nice place to have a wander round and is a good gateway for exploring the Yorkshire Dales.











After our lunch in Skipton, we continued onto Harrogate which took us about forty minutes or so to get there (once we figured out the one way system.). Harrogate is a lovely spa town and gateway to the Yorkshire Dales. I had been to Harrogate before, but only for the day so was looking forward to my weekend here. We were very lucky with the weather as it was lovely, sunny and very warm. The one way system in the town centre can be a bit of a nightmare to navigate but if you know exactly where you are going then it is fine. After checking into the Hotel, we went into the town centre do some shopping. There are plenty of High Street shops to browse around such as Debenhams, Monsoon, Kath Kidston to name a few.

There are also lots of other specialised shops such as The Cheeseboard, Hoopers Department Store, Montpellier Quarter, Whites of Harrogate (selling designer clothes such as Armani, Amanda Wakeley and La Perla among others) and The Urban Retreat plus many more. Once a month there is a local farmers market in the centre of Harrogate, usually the second Thursday of the month from 9am until 3pm selling local produce.




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There are also lots of cafes and tea rooms such as Betty's Tea Rooms, and Jenny's' tea rooms. Harrogate is a spa town and has a beautiful Spa and Turkish Baths which is well worth a visit and also feature in 'The Good Spa Guide'. Other attractions in Harrogate are a visit to the Mercer Art Gallery which has over 2000 works of art and hosts various exhibitions throughout the year and The Royal Pump Room Museum. (Currently hosting 'Only Human' until 3rd January 2010)

If museums are not your thing, but gardens are then Harrogate also has beautiful gardens such as Valley Gardens situated in Regal Low Harrogate and are said to be Alan Titchmarch's favourite public garden and RHS Garden Harlow Carr which is near to Harrogate.

There is plenty to if you have children also. For young children under the age of 10, there is Kidzplay which is a children's indoor play area, and there are outdoor games in the park such as bowls, crazy golf, and tennis and you can hire boats. There is also Pots 2 Go which is a ceramic cafe that lets you paint your own pots. There are other activities not far from Harrogate such as Hesketh Farm Park at Bolton Abbey and Monk Park Farm at Thirsk.















We bought an Eating Out guide from the Tourist Information as we wanted to find a child friendly restaurant and we found it very helpful. It tells you which make children welcome and have highchairs and baby changing facilities. We opted for Damn Yankee. It was very busy and the food was reasonable and there was lots of families in. They offer Steaks, Mexican, Vegetarian and burgers within the menu.

On the Sunday we decided to visit Knaresborough which not fare from Harrogate. Knaresborough is a market town famous for Mother Shiptons Cave and Historic Park. It also has lovely walks along the river with cafes and ice cream stalls. You can hire boats on the river and if feeling energetic there are cycleways and you can hire bikes. For children, there is Halycon Leisure club karts , Knaresborough Castle Museum as well as Skate parks and picnic areas. We were very lucky with the weather as it was a beautiful sunny day and very warm.

We took a lovely leisurely walk along the river and made the mistake of going to Marigolds Cafe for some lunch. The views from the cafe across the river were stunning however we felt it was overpriced, rushed and the staff didn't seem to bother and the service was bad. You queue up like at Mcdonalds and they bring the food to your table. I think what really did it for me was when the waitress brought my glass with her fingers inside of it and maybe its just me but I found it very unhygienic. We noticed the business was for sale so maybe that's why the service was bad because they just weren't bothered.

The further we walked we found lots more riverside cafes but at least we know for next time. The railway bridges are very picturesque and the views stunning. We walked right along the river and up to the city centre which has a lovely cobbled square and had lots of nice little shops. I would liked to have had more time to explore Knaresborough as what we did see of it was lovely so will have to go back soon and do a little bit more sightseeing. They have a bed race in June each year which runs through the town and there will be a christmas Edwardian market on 5th and 6th December 2009. If you are in the area then I would recommend a visit as there are lots to see and do and I will definitely be going back soon.

Durham 2009

We travelled by car to Durham and was a little worried about the roads as the weather has been so bad and there had been a lot of snow. The roads were fine, but there were white blankets of snow as we travelled via Cumbria. We had originally booked into the Marriott Royal County Hotel but changed at the last minute to the brand new Radisson SAS Hotel as the leisure centre at the Marriott was closed for refurbishment. We booked the Radisson online and they had an offer of 20% discount for a two night stay which was £60 per room per night (Room only). The Hotel is a 4 star which opened in November 2008 and has a lovely leisure centre, parking for 130 cars (which you do have to pay for - it was £6.50 per 24 hours) and free Internet access for guests. It is in a great location, on the banks of the River Wear and is a five minute walk from the shops, restaurants and market.

There is also a Premier Inn on the other side of the River which is called Durham City Centre and rooms are from £61 per room per night, so I would try and book the Radisson or Marriott if you can get a similar price rate as they both have leisure facilities. Durham is a Market and University Town (the University is the third oldest in England) and is known for its ancient cathedral. Durham is also home to a Castle, both the Cathedral and Castle are World Heritage Sites.

We had a walk round the Cathedral which is huge and offers free entry, although there are donation boxes. You are not permitted to take photographs inside the Cathedral, although you can buy a licence pass if you wish to take photos for educational purposes and this is £15. There is a nice cafe inside the grounds of the Cathedral which I would recommend. The Stained Glass windows in the Cathedral are beautiful. The Castle is a five minute walk from the Cathedral and is also a stunning Building. The Castle is part of the University but is open to the public for tours.



We had a walk along the river which was really nice and you have stunning views of both the Castle and Cathedral. After we visited the Cathedral we headed to the market and shops. Although the shopping centre is not as big as Newcastle, there are quite a few shops in Durham. There is the indoor and outdoor market and most high street shops such as Marks and Spencer, British Home Stores, Monsoon among others. The streets are cobbled and quite hilly (good for the calves....). There are also two Oxfam shops, one selling clothes and accessories and the other selling books, DVD's etc. I noticed that the Oxfam shop had a pair of Jimmy Choo Shoes in the window (I have never seen designer items like that in an Oxfam Shop before!!!)

I found the people very friendly wherever we went and when we checked into the Hotel on the Friday, the head of housekeeping approached us and told us if we wanted anything to let her know... The one thing that I could not understand is that I could not get network for my mobile in the Hotel. I have been to some remote places in the world and been able to get coverage but not in the Hotel in Durham which was a bit of a pain as I had to keep going outside in the cold to use my phone or check for messages. There are a few restaurants in the city centre in an area called Walkergate and a few pubs that offer food such as Wetherspoons. There are also pubs such as Yates and Walkabout if you fancy some nightlife...

One thing that surprised me about Wetherspoons was their dress policy. We met up with a friend of ours in Durham and went for lunch in Wetherspoons, he was wearing tracksuit bottoms and was told that the policy is that tracksuit bottoms are not allowed to be worn in their pub. The thing I find bizarre is that as good as Weatherspoons is (and the food is great), it is not exactly Gordon Ramsay or a classy wine bar. I remember jeans not being allowed to be worn in some pubs years ago but never tracksuit bottoms, this was in the afternoon as well so I do not see the harm - but what do I know!!!!

There are other attractions to see and do in Durham in addition to the Cathedral and castle such as the Oriental Museum (part of the University), Durham Miners Heritage Centre and Durham Light Infantry Museum and Art Gallery. Since having a baby last year, it is now interesting to see how hard it can be sometimes getting in and out of shops that have very narrow paths. After pushing the pram around all day I certainly felt it the next day on my legs after walking up and down the hills.... The next day we were planning to go to Beamish but decided we would leave it until our baby boy was a little older and could enjoy it.



Beamish is an open air Museum and has costumed staff and demonstrates two stages of the North East's History. We ended up going for a look around the shops at the Metro Centre in Gateshead as it was so cold and did not want to be outside. On the way to Gateshead we stopped off at the Angel of the North Sculpture at Gateshead, our friend had recommended we see it although he thinks it is a monstrosity. It is known as 'Gateshead's Winged Wonder' and is twenty metres high and fifty four metres wide. It overlooks the A1 at Gateshead and was created by Anthony Gormley. I think it is different!!!!!!



The Metrocentre is huge and has plenty of indoor and outdoor parking. It is similar to the Trafford Centre in Manchester. It has over three hundred shops and over fifty restaurants and a Cinema. There are shops including Debenhams, Lush, House of Fraser and Mothercare.

It was very busy when we were there and you certainly would not think there was a recession on!!!! There is a lot more to see and do in the North East of England than we had time for. I believe Newcastle is a great city to visit and has great nightlife, but we just ran out of time.

For football fans there are lots of clubs to choose from such as Newcastle United, Sunderland and Middlesborough. I did feel a little cheated on my visit to the Cathedral as I had heard about 'The Sanctuary Knocker' on the door, however we found out that it is actually a replica and the original is in the St Cuthbert Exhibition in the Cathedral Precinct.

We had a great weekend and would definitely recommend Durham, there is so much more to see in the County and surrounding areas than we had time for. It is easy to find your way about and Durham, Newcastle and Gateshead are not that far apart.

If you are going to visit Durham or the North East and can go anytime, I would maybe recommend going in the Spring and not in February as it was freezing.......

Stratford upon Avon 2008

We travelled to Stratford upon Avon by car using the M6 toll Road. We had checked the traffic and being a Friday night the roads were very busy. The M6 toll Road was empty and it cost £4.50 for cars which is worth it to get a clear drive without being stuck in traffic. (we had been stuck in a jam around Cheshire!!!). We had booked into the Stratford Hotel in Stratford upon Avon (formerly Stratford Victoria) and it was very nice. It has parking for over 200 cars and is centrally located (about five minutes walk to the main shopping area and river.) We had originally tried to book into the Stratford Manor Hotel which is the sister Hotel of the Stratford, I am really glad we didn't now as it is quite a way out and you would have to travel by car or taxi to the centre of Stratford. There is a mini gym at the Stratford but no pool, however guests can us the pool at the Stratford Manor Hotel.

The breakfast was great and there was lots of choice of English cooked breakfast, continental, pastries and cereals (if you were really hungry or greedy you could have all as it is a buffet breakfast!!!!). We had booked in for two nights as my husband had a driving experience booked at Long Marston Airfield on the Saturday and Stratford was the nearest town. We arrived in Stratford at around 7pm and after checking in, we decided to go for a wander to get something to eat. There are lots of restaurants to choose from, we settled on a beefeater near the River.

The food was not great, I had asked for a burger well done and it came as a char coaled brick and very dry, but I suppose I did get what I asked for!!!!.

The next morning after breakfast, we had a wander round the shops, the buildings are all so old and beautiful and it is really weird to see these really old buildings with a Pizza Hut or Costa Coffee attached to them. We drove to Long Marston Air Field around lunchtime which is only a few miles and about twenty minutes away from Stratford. My husband had a driving Experience booked with Drivers Dream Days, who offer driving experiences at different locations around the country in luxury cars from Porsche and Ferrari to Aston Martin and Lamborghini's. They also offer off road driving experiences.

We were hoping for nice sunny weather, which is one of the reasons for choosing August but we should realise by now never to expect nice weather in this country and it was grey, drizzly and cold. You can book a drive on the day if you have not pre booked. My husband had an Aston Martin and Ferrari experience booked.

The price for the driving experience includes insurance, but on the day you can pay for an insurance waiver (approx £20 - £30 depending on weather) which covers you for any damage to the cars otherwise you are are liable for the first £2000 damage.

Most drives include three laps and a high speed ride in a Subaru. There is a viewing area and you can buy DVD's and photographs of your experience for about £25. There are tea, coffee and refreshments available to buy on the day also which is a good job as it was cold, wet and windy on Saturday. My husband's first drive was in an Aston Martin, when he was called he was told he was being upgraded to the Aston Martin DB9 Convertible so it was such a shame the weather was rubbish.....

The Aston that he actually drove had not been used all day so he was taken out for one lap with the instructor to make sure everything worked before taking his three laps. As much as he said he enjoyed it, he felt that three laps was not enough and could not make the most of driving such a luxury car. Next up was the Ferrari 355 which he also enjoyed but being such a different car said it felt weird as your bum is nearly on the floor. This was a Christmas present and I think it is a great gift to give somebody who likes luxury or fast cars and realistically is never likely to own one. The website has experiences to suit all budgets from £89 up to £229. They also offer high speed passenger rides for children.

This was my hubby's second driving experience, the last time he drove a TVR which is his favourite car and he has a huge love for them. After his driving, we headed back to Stratford and went to the No 1 Shakespeare Pub to watch his beloved Liverpool in their first game of the new season. After the football (which I am glad to say the Reds won!!) we headed back to the Hotel to get showered and changed to go out in the evening.

We wanted to eat somewhere in between a pub and restaurant and their are loads to choose from. We decided on the Rose and Crown which is a huge pub, but has a separate dining room. It was really nice inside, and the food was delicious and very reasonable. We both decided on the Bombardier Beef and Ale Pie and as delicious as it was, only order if you are very hungry!!!!! I only managed half of mine and felt really guilty as it was so tasty but huge the pudding that I had my eye and was looking forward to on when browsing the menu never got ordered as I was totally stuffed. The waiter was also very friendly and came over a few times to make sure everything was ok and we had everything we needed. After our meal we went into the pub which was very long and had a few drinks.

On the Sunday after breakfast, we checked out and went for a walk along the River. The weather was up and down, one minute it was sun shine and the next there were showers. It did brighten up eventually. The walk along the river was lovely and peaceful with lots of boats and barges. We also had a walk around the streets looking at the old crooked buildings. Because we did not have a lot of time, we did not get to do any of the tourist attractions that Stratford has to offer.

We did walk past William Shakespeare's House but did not have enough time to go in and this is one of the most visited attractions in Britain. Mary Arden's House and Anne Hathaways Cottage are also popular attractions. Other attractions to visit are Hatton Farm Village and Stratford upon Avon Butterfly Farm. (which is the UK's largest Butterfly Paradise. There are also boat trips on the river.

Not far from Stratford is the Historic town of Warwick. Warwick Castle is also a very popular Tourist Attraction and is said to be Britain's best Medieval attraction. We did not make the most of what Stratford and Warwick has to offer because we had a schedule to stick to, but Stratford Upon Avon is a beautiful town and would definitely recommend it. We will definitely be back again especially to do the walking ghost tour in Stratford.

South Africa 2006 Part 2: Knysna

We left Cape Town and drove to George which took us about four hours, we had originally booked into a hotel in George as it had been recommended to us. We stopped off at Witsand on the way which is a small beach town en route and it was very pretty. We also saw some whales from the beach. We had booked into the Protea Landmark Lodge Hotel in George. The Hotel reception area was nice but the rooms were very basic and not very nice, they did not look like they had been cleaned.

We drove around George and decided it is not the place we thought it was, as it was just an industrial town, so went to get something to eat while deciding where to go instead.
We had booked into the Hotel in George for 4 four nights and was definitely not staying for that long.!!!! Our one and only evening in George was spent at the Casino in Mossel Bay which had lots of restaurants in it. We decided on Knysna and booked into the Graywood Hotel for three nights (we would spend the first night in George and move to Knysna in the morning!!!!).

The Graywood Hotel was lovely and resembled a ski lodge. The Hotel is only a 3*, but it is nicer than some 4* Hotels I have stayed in!!!. The people were friendly and the rooms were lovely and clean and the Hotel has a secure covered car park. Knysna has a nice waterfront with shops and restaurants. It reminded me of a smaller version of the V and A waterfront at Cape Town. We booked a boat trip to do some whale spotting and although the heavens opened while we were on the boat, we did see some. That evening we went to the African Restaurant across the road.







The weather was mixed while we were there for a couple of days it poured and at one point Knysna lost electricity, fortunately for us the Graywood had a generator so we were ok. The next day had beautiful sunshine all day as we drove to Ootdshorn to visit the Cango Ostrich farm and Cango Caves. The farm is privately owned and offer tours and the opportunity to ride or feed the Ostrich's. The tour takes 45 minutes and is worth going. The cost of the tour is ZAR50.00 for adults and ZAR25.00 for children.

The caves are also worth visiting and there are two tour on offer which are the Standard Tour which cost ZAR55.00 and the Adventure Tour which cost ZAR70.00 and take 60 minutes on the standard and 90 minutes on the adventure tour. The caves are stunning and should not be missed. That evening back in Knysna we went to JJ's restaurant at Knysna Waterfront. They offer a varied menu including seafood, delicious steaks and South African Game among other items. My sister had the Chocolate Fondue as a desert and it was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted (there was so much I had to help her finish it....)

The next day we headed to Knysna Elephant Park which is rehabilitation centre which offers tours, walks and rides and also has accommodation. The rates are ZAR145 for adults and ZAR75 for children. You can also buy buckets of food at ZAR25 and feed the elephants. The elephants are orphans rescued from culling operations or abandoned. The tours can take up to an hour but you can stay at the park for as long as you wish. We then headed to Plettenberg Bay and booked an Ocean Safari for more whale watching.





The rates are expensive but there are only two companies including Ocean Safaris that are licenced to offer tours. There are two types of tours being the Discovery Cruise ZAR300 and the Premium Cruise ZAR500. The discovery cruise is operated on boats without a licence and are legally obliged to stay 300 meters from the whales, and the Premium is a Close Encounter tour which is permitted to approach whales up to 50 metres. We booked the Premium Tour as we decided if we were going to book a tour we might as well do it properly.

We were not disappointed and saw loads of whales, seals and dolphins and they were really close. Unfortunately I was not quick enough with my camera to get good shots... Plettenberg Bay is in the heart of the Garden Route and is close to Ootdshorn and Knysna. The beaches are lovely and the sea is warmer as it is the Indian Ocean.

Although it had been warm and sunny all day, when we got back to Knysna in the evening it was raining and cold so we did not want to go too far. Just a few minutes from our Hotel was a South African pub called Oldes. South Africa were playing rugby and it was being shown on the big screen, so it was really busy and there was a great atmosphere. There was a spit roast which was free for customers. We had a great night there and the people were friendly.







The Graywood Hotel only offered a bed and breakfast basis although there is a Hotel bar and it is in a great location and is walking distance to the Waterfront. We had heard about the Outeniqua Choo Choo Steam Train which used to operate between Knysna and George, but while we were there part of the track and bridge was damaged due to bad weather so it was was not running. We had come to the end of our stay in the Garden Route and I would recommend Knysna as a base to explore.






The day we drove from Kysna to Cape Town was a nightmare as there had been a landslide because of the bad weather, which meant instead of a four hour drive, it ended up taking us nearly seven hours. Because of the Land Slide, part of the main motorway (N2) collapsed at Wilderness so we had to use the back road through the Mountains. Apart from this mishap, we had a great time in this area of the country and will have to go back as we did not get chance to explore the area as much as we would have liked....

South Africa 2006 Part One: Cape Town and Hermanus

We flew to Cape Town from Heathrow with South African Airways direct on 19 August 2006. We found the service very good and the crew were friendly and helpful. We had reserved a car at Cape Town with Europcar who are one of the main companies in South Africa. We had booked into the Radisson SAS Hotel a the Waterfront in Cape Town for one night before moving onto Hermanus. The Radisson is a Five Star Luxury Hotel and the rooms were huge and the sun was shining so it was a good start.

We went for lunch at Panini at the Waterfront who serve delicious food, and then relaxed around the Hotel. That evening we went to the City Grill for a meal (which is one of our favourites). It is a steakhouse selling everything from Springbok to Karoo and Calamari and it very reasonable priced. The next day we drove to Hermanus on the scenic route via Bettys Bay and Stony Point. Stony Point has a Penguin Colony which we visited and we saw some whales and a dassie at Bettys Bay. When we arrived at Hermanus, it was quite cold and windy.

We had booked a lovely apartment with a sea view and under floor heating (which came in handy as it was cold!!!). Hermanus is a lovely seaside town that has a whale crier who blows a horn every time whales are spotted in the area. We did not see any whales in Hermanus, it gets so busy that even whales are spotted it is hard to get near the sea because it is so busy. The next day we drove along the coast and the first stop was Stamford where there are lots of nice old buildings.

We then went to De Kelders which is 25 minutes drive from Hermanus and is much quieter than Hermanus and is situated in Walker Bay. We saw lots of Southern Right Whales here and they were close to the shore. It is said this is a preferred area for the whales as it has sheltered bays. De Kelders is also known for its seafood and being a fishing village. We briefly stopped at Gansbaii next which is famous for white shark cage diving. You can also spot Southern Right Whales from here.

After Gansbaii we drove to Bredasdorp to the Kapula Candle Factory. You will have seen Kapula Candles at some point in South Africa before in shops as they are sold everywhere. The candles are hand painted and in various colours and styles. The factory also has pottery and crockery for sale. We spent far too much money and when we left, we were wondering how we were going to get everything home in one piece. We decided to go to Cape Agulhas which is the most Southern Tip of Africa and where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean meet.

On the way to Agulhas, we stopped at Arniston, which is a lovely seaside town home to the warmer Indian Ocean (famous for its wine). The beaches are lovely and you can go fishing, whale watching and visit the De Hoop Nature reserve. It was a bit cold and windy, so we did not hang around. Although Arniston is on my list of places to return to when it is not winter!!!! We arrived at Cape Agulhas at around 1600, and although the sun was shining, it was a little cold. There is not a lot to commemorate it other than a plaque and a candy striped lighthouse.

The Lighthouse is a monument with a museum and a tea room. Cape Agulhas is also known as 'Cape of storms' because of the treacherous coastline and many shipwrecks that have taken place over the years. It is said that when you stand on the shore towards the sea, the Indian is to your left and the Atlantic is to the right. We watched the sunset which was beautiful before heading back towards Hermanus. The drive back to Hermanus was scary as it got dark we must have taken a wrong turning and when we got to Napier, the tarmac ended and we were on a dirt track for miles with no light, other vehicles or shops. There were so many potholes we were terrified of the car breaking down. We did make it back in one piece eventually and treated ourselves to some comfort food at Spur and then home for a hot shower.

We arrived back in Cape Town on 27th August after a very long drive from Knysna. What should have taken about four hours ended up taking over six due to to bad weather. There is only one main road between Cape Town and Knysna which is the N2. As there had been heavy rain the road was closed because of a landslide and we had to take the narrow back roads up and down hills. We had booked a two bedroom apartment at Green Point 5 minutes away from the Waterfront. The Devonshire Apartment is owned by a lovely man called Leon. The apartment is on the seventh floor with spectacular views over Cape Town and has secure parking and reception.

That evening, we just fancied a light tea so went to the Paulaner Brewery at the waterfront where they do Bockwursts t0 die for. It's also one of hubby's favourite places to get a beer, so he was happy. The next day we visited the Two Oceans Aquarium at the Waterfront which has lots of exhibits and feeding and you can even go diving!!! In the afternoon, we went for a walk down Long Street which is one of the oldest streets in Cape Town and has lots of Victorian Buildings, shops, cafes and restaurants and on to Green Market Square Which is the City's best known flea market.

In the evening we went to the Waterfront and shopped at the Red Shed Craft Workshop which is open until about 9pm. It sells arts and crafts from all over Africa. There are lots of other shops and restaurants at the waterfront also. We had booked a Cultural Tour while we were in Cape Town which includes some of the Townships, District Six Area and Museum and Bo Kaap.

The next morning we set off for Cape Point going via Simons Town and Boulders Beach. Simonstown is a Navy Town with lots of nice shops and restaurant, it is a few minutes drive from the Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach. We have been to Boulders before and it is a great place to visit. It was sunny but very windy and there were not as many penguins as on previous visits, so we did not know if they were nesting. We then drove onto the Cape Of Good Hope and Cape Point. We decided to get the funicular half way up then walked up the steps to lighthouse where you can take in the spectacular views.

On our way back from Cape Point, we saw a family of baboons and an ostrich. We stopped off at Hout Bay and Constantia on the drive back to Cape Town. Constantia is a well known wine valley area where the very wealthy live. That evening we went to Camps Bay which is a ten minute drive from Cape Town. Camps Bay is the place to see and be seen. It is full of trendy bars, cafes and restaurants and has a lovely beach and designer shops. It is always busy there with people posing on the beach and spending daddy's money!! There are all the usual water sports available and also wellness spas.

We wanted to experience Chapmans Peak Drive which is a drive between Noordhoek and Hout Bay and is said to be one of the most spectacular drives in the world, but the road was closed due to bad weather, so we were a bit upset. We went up Table Mountain the next day as it was the first warm clear day we had, although it was cold up there. We are not fit enough to walk (especially after eating out for a week!!) so took the easy way up by Cable Car. In the late afternoon/evening we went to Sea Point to watch the sun set and then on to our favourite City Grill restaurant at the Water front at Cape Town. Tomorrow was our last day and we had booked a walking Tour of the Bo Kaap District which we had never visited before. The Bo Kaap is known as the Cape Malay area and is a suburb of Cape Town with lots of brightly coloured houses and the residents were mostly descendants of slaves imported by the Dutch in the 17th Century.

We had a guide called Shereen who was very helpful and knowledgeable, she took us around the streets and to the museum and into her home where we were given drinks and cakes. In the afternoon we went to the beach at Bloubergstrand which is twenty minutes drive from Cape Town. This is the best place to get the perfect picture postcard view of Table Mountain (but its a secret so don't tell anyone!!!!!) The beach is amazing and was not crowded although the sea was flipping freezing!!!! For our last night we decided to visit the Grand West Casino just twenty minutes drive from Cape Town. The sign at the Casino entrance made me smile 'All firearms must be be left at reception'.

The food was not great to be honest as the waiter brought the main meal before we had even finished our starters and then the steak that I ordered to be well done was pink, and apart from that (oh and losing at Roulette!!) it was a good night. The Grand Casino is on a complex that has shops, restaurants and family entertainment. The next day, we were flying home in the evening, so had our breakfast at the waterfront and spent the day there watching street entertainers before leaving for the airport.

The Devonshire apartment we stayed at in Greenpoint is in a great spot, you can walk to Sea Point and the Waterfront and there is lots of shops close to the apartment such as Woolworths Food (the same as M&S food in the UK). There is also electric gates on the car park at the apartment. We had a fabulous time, although I would not travel at this time of year again as it is their winter. The weather was not great and we normally travel in November when it their summer. The winter is regarded as the best time of year for whale watching and is a cheaper time to travel than in summer.

Coming Soon..... Knysna

Santa Susana (Costa Brava) 2007

We flew to Santa Susana for the weekend in November to see if it was suitable for a possible summer holiday in 2008. We flew with Ryanair from Blackpool to Gerona and had booked Resorthoppa to take us from the airport to the resort. We have used Resorthoppa a few times for transfers and they have always been very good. It cost about £17 return and took about 45 minutes to get to the resort from Gerona.

We booked into the Aqua Onabrava Hotel which I highly recommend. The Hotel is on the main promenade, and has an indoor and outdoor pool, gym and spa. All rooms have a balcony and air conditioning and the Hotel has entertainment. We had booked on a bed and breakfast basis for three nights. There is also a snack bar in the Hotel selling Burgers, Hot Dogs and Pizzas etc.

The weather was quite warm. You could walk around in a T shirt, but it was not quite sunbathing weather or warm enough to use the Outdoor pool...

Santa Susana is not a huge resort and there is a train line across the road from the Hotel with regular services to Lloret de Mar, Barcelona and the resorts in between. The beach is a five minute walk under the train tracks. There was not a lot open when we went in November, but we just wanted to see what it what like. There are a few shops and restaurants in the resort and in the season (which is from Easter until October) there are stalls along the promenade at night selling arts and crafts.

The resort next to Santa Susana is Malgrat de Mar, and is about ten to 15 minute walk away. This is a larger busier resort than Santa Susana and has a few more shops and restaurants. We also noticed that there are quite a few camp sites in the area. As most of the shops and restaurants were closed in Malgrat and Santa Susana, we decided to get the train to Calella which is an even busier resort two stops away and has lots of shops and restaurants open all year round. The train took about ten minutes and cost EUR2.90 return. The tourist shops and restaurants in Calella were closed but 5 minutes walk from the promenade is the main shopping area with lots of narrow streets each filled with shops, bars and restaurants.

The area was quite busy and there is every kind of shop selling clothes and shoes to cheap tourist tat, but it was nice to wander round and see different shops. We also found a nice restaurants to eat in. We had a walk along the promenade and there were a few bars open on the beach. The trains run quite late back to Santa Susana so we had a few drinks in Calella before returning to our hotel. On the Sunday we had a walk along the beach from Santa Susana to Malgrat then found a cafe selling delicious ice cream on our return.

The food in the Onabrava was very good with lots of choice. I would definitely recommend Santa Susana, even though not much was open (we knew this would be the case but wanted to see what it was like!) we got an idea of what kind of resort it is. It is a quieter resort than its neighbours and I would say suited more to families and couples, but then you can have the best of both worlds as Malgrat is within walking distance and Calella ten minutes away. You can also get the train to Barcelona if you fancy a day away from the beach.

Calella (Costa Maresme) 2008

We flew with Ryanair from Blackpool to Gerona and booked ResortHoppa to our Hotel. Ryanair are really rubbish and the customer service skills are severly lacking, but they are convenient for flying from Blackpool and that is the only reason we use them. I would rather pay more for an alternative carrier if I could as long as it was from my local airport, but they seem to have the monopoly at Blackpool. The baggage allowance is 15k (and the cost for booking a bag has just gone up - to pay for the penny flights I guess!!!!!) which is fine but Gerona is not really a commuter route and most people are going on holiday have more than 15k (you are also not allowed to combine baggage!!!! As we were only going for a week, we tried to travel light but we were 9k over (between 3 of us!!!!), but the check in person took pity and only charged us for 2 kilos - well done her.


Th excess baggage fee has also just gone up to £12 or EUR15 per kilo, so it would have cost us a fortune had we had to pay the correct fee. The cabin crew also are not very friendly and we could not understand a word they said (I asked other people on the flight and they couldn't understand them either!!!), so God help us if they were announcing anything of any importance!!!!!. We had used Resorthoppa before and found them to be very good, it cost us £17 per person return to Santa Susanna which is about a 45 minute drive away, and you can book online. We had another mix up when we arrived at our Hotel, as we thought we had booked into the Maritim at Santa Susanna, when we got there we were told we had actually booked into the Martim at Calella two resorts along!!! (bloody travel agents!!!!!!).....





We jumped in a taxi to Calella disappointed and wondering how the mistake was made, but we had nothing from the Hotel except an email saying we had booked a sea view room (it had no address on it!!!), we got to the Hotel and decided to make the most of it. The Maritim we had booked into was nice enough and part of GHT Hotels. We had booked a Double Sea View room and was actually allocated a twin sea view room (which hubby was not happy about - we have twin beds to come later when we are about 70 and booking Shearings Coach Holidays!!!!!) They did change us to a double eventually, the room was clean and had a nice size balcony. My poor sister had a single room at the back with a Juliet Balcony (you could stand on it but would not have been able to shut the door!!!) which is fine except they do advertise every room as a balcony!!!! Apparently there is only 1 x single room per floor and they are in the same position!!!!!



We had booked half board, so went for tea after we had checked in, which was OK but typical Spanish Package Holiday food (i.e unidentifiable meat and fish - if it needs a label should you eat it?) We had a wander around the resort after tea and found we were in the centre of everything so that was good as there were loads of shops, bars and restaurants all within a few minutes walk of our Hotel, there was also the Train tracks across the road which has a regular service to Barcelona, Santa Susanna and other resorts along the coast. I must be getting old as the first night was the worst night's sleep ever. It was about 0430 in the morning when we got to sleep as there was a German Bar next to our Hotel and Germany had just beaten Poland in their first game of Euro 2008 (you would think they had won the Cup they were that noisy!!!!) To be fair it wasn't really their fault as I am sure any other fans would have been just as noisy, it was down to rubbish double glazing in our room. There was no difference when the doors were open or shut!!!!(We were also only given one pillow each!!!!)





On our first full day, we decided to spend the day at the beach as it was lovely and warm plus the Hotel was just across the road. We hired sun loungers and a parasol at EUR4 per item which I thought was quite reasonable. My sister has a learning disability and is also very fair and burns in the sun in the UK so we had to make sure she was covered up well. The beach was nice and never got too crowded, although it was stony and hurt your feet a little when walking on it. There are lots of beach bars and stalls selling light refreshments and drinks. There are peddle boats that you can hire as well. My hubby went for a swim but did not stay in the sea long as he said it was freezing!!!!!!



We stayed on the beach until about 2.30 ish and decided to go for a Siesta to catch up on some sleep!!!! We decided to go to Santa Susanna that evening to see what we were missing!!! We got the train which took about 10 minutes and cost EUR2.60 return. Santa Susanna is much quieter resort than Calella, we had been to a really nice restaurant on our last visit in November and were hoping to have a meal there. Unfortunately for us there was a sign on the door saying closed for personal reasons, so we had to find another place to eat. There are lots of restaurants around, but like in Calella the food on offer it what they think British tourist's want - pizzas, hot dogs, English breakfasts etc... We did eventually pick a restaurant, but in true MaccyD's style the food looked nothing like the pictures on the menu - why have pictures of the food then?





We decided to watch the Holland v Italy game in a pub, as there were hundreds of Dutch supporters all dressed up and we thought it would be a good atmosphere. I was surprised as even 20 minutes after kick off there were dutch fans walking the streets (that would never happen for an England game!!!!!) There are lots of stalls on the promenade selling arts and crafts, but everything seemed to shut down about 2300. The streets became deserted and the only entertainment seemed to be in the Hotels. We also missed the last train back, so had to get a cab which cost us EUR20. This was when we decided we were glad to be in Calella where at least there was still things going on (although as least we would get a quiet night sleep here!!!!) We went back to Santa Susanna by train on Tuesday for the weekly market and the heavens opened. The main road is closed off for the market which was interesting!!!!! It is full of stalls selling copy perfumes, wannabe Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags and cheap copy football shirts and clothes. The only stalls we liked were the fruit and veg selling huge spring onions (you don't get them that big in Asda!!!!!), apples and every other fruit and veg you can imagine. We bought some apples, grapes and cherries.








We spent a couple of days sitting by the pool which was good as it never seemed to get too busy, this may have been because there was a roof terrace on the 7th floor which was a sun trap, but as there was no shade or parasols, we decided not to risk getting burnt. We went to Marineland which is two parks in one, being a small mini version of Seaworld but also had a water Park with slides etc. There is a free bus from various resorts to the park and it costs EUR22 entrance fee (worth every penny and a great day out!!!!) Marineland is in Palafolls nr Malgrat and takes about forty minutes from Calella (depneding on how many pick ups there are). There is a Dolphin and Seal Show and a Parrot and Exotic Bird show. You can also see Dolphins, Seals, Pink Flamingoes and other exotic birds. There is also a Dolphin Encounter which is an extra EUR50 and involves getting your picture taken with a Dolphin and educational facts. The Water Park has lots of slides for adults and kids and is quite big. The only drawback is the food is very expensive EUR6.90 for a Hotdog which is a rip off (and not very nice - how do you make a mess of a hot dog anyway?), but this is the case with all parks unfortunately. I would definitely recommend this as as great day out and it is worth the entrance fee.





There is the main Water Park at Lloret De Mar which we did not get to. We visited Malgrat de Mar one day and then walked to Santa Susanna and got the train back to Calella. There is enough to do and Calella is a good base (although quite noisy), you can get the train to Barcelona and Lloret de Mar and the other resorts along the coast, and it is very reasonable. I know I am getting old when I want a quiet nights sleep (about ten years ago the first thing I would do is find the nearest night club!!!!!) I did enjoy this holiday, and without sounding like a snob (cause I am not!!!!), it is not really my idea of a holiday (bucket and spade holidays are not my thing!!!), the restaurants are full of english food and english pubs. The Hotel would not lend us an iron as they send ironing and laundry out for a fee - so we bought a cheap one and considered setting up a rival service in reception!! This holiday was ideal for my sister and that was the reason we booked it but it was a break and 15 years ago it probably would have been my ideal holiday!!!!!