Egypt 1996

We flew to Cairo on 15 November for 4 nights with Lufthansa via Frankfurt. The flights were really good, the only fault was that smoking was still permitted on aircraft, so even though we were in non smoking seats the smoking was blowing forward towards us. It is hard to imagine what it was like now when people could smoke on flights with the recycled air, it nearly choked us!!!!!
We booked into the Oasis Hotel in Giza near to the Pyramids. The Hotel is set in a lush forest surrounding and is 5 minutes from the Pyramids.

When we were booking this trip, we were originally going to stay in Cairo but everybody we spoke to told us it was dirty and a dump (and they were right!!!!!) so we found the Hotel Oasis and decided to stay there as it has a health club and spa and is like a resort. Even though it is a first class Hotel it was not too expensive and did not break the bank.

We had ordered a taxi the next day to take us to the Pyramids. The taxi driver was really good and we ended up hiring him for the full duration of our stay. He came and collected us whenever we wanted and waited for us day and night. He charged us about £15 per day but we ended up up giving him about £25 a day and he thought he had won the lottery!!!!! He ended up being our guide too and we saw so much more and learned a lot more than we would have if he was not there.

I don't know what I expected the area where the Pyramids to be like, but I was disappointed. You have these amazing Pyramids, but there are are lots of people pestering you to have Camel Rides and to buy cheap tacky replicas if the Pyramids and Sphinx. Lucky for us our guide and driver kept telling them to go away and leave us alone. We did pay to go inside the Pyramids and it was fascination. Obviously there is no air conditioning and natural light. They have tried to keep them as natural as possible so there are a few small bulbs inside, but it is very dark. There are lots of little pathways and most of the time you have to crouch down to get around, and there are are lots of very steep steps inside. There are rooms inside that have tombs inside also. It is something that I recommend you do, but not if you suffer from Claustrophobia.

I have heard a rumour and I do not know how true this is, but it would not surprise me that a McDonald's has sprung up by the Pyramids. If this is true, then it is so wrong. They should be kept as ancient as possible!!!!! It is bad enough that they have laser shows at night coming from the Pyramids. Why do people have to spoil things that are already great!!!!!! The Egyptian Pound is used in Egypt although they do like the US Dollar as well!!!!

We went to see the Sphinx and this is known as the symbol of Egypt. It is known as the Great Sphinx. There are a lot of tombs and tunnels behind walls with hieroglyphs carved into the walls. If there is one museum you should visit, it has to be the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Th Egyptian Museum has 2 floors of History and Artefact's including Jewellery, Sculptures, Tutankhamen and a funerary collection. No photographs are allowed in the museum and there are different collections borrowed so it is worth checking out before you go to see which new exhibits they have.

We didn't like Cairo much as I found it dirty and just a busy city, although there are many sights to see. Our driver did take us to some of the shops in Cairo as items like rugs and other Egyptian Souvenirs. Egypt is very cheap for food, drink and clothes, and pretty much everything. There are stalls and street vendors selling Burgers, Felafel's and sandwiches. We were taken to a couple of carpet and Rug factories to see how these were made and it was quite interesting.

Our driver took us to lots of different places and sights including the Solar Barque Museum this has among other things boats which were used to carry bodies across the River Nile. The Mohammed Ali Mosque is also worth a visit, as it is one of the most distinctive and ancient Mosquesin Cairo. If you decide to go to visit this mosque, make sure that you are covered up and not showing arms or legs as you will not be allowed in in any flesh is showing other than face!!!!!!

We visited a Papyrus Paper factory which was very interesting to see how it is made and you could buy prints on the Papyrus. There is a Papyrus Museum which we did not get to as we ran out of time. There are some mini Pyramids which we went to, unfortunately I can't remember the name of them but they reminded me of the Aztec Pyramids you can see in South America.

There was not much to do at night in Giza other than go to restaurants and there were a couple of bars and nightclubs in Hotels. There is a laser show at the Pyramids which is ok but I think it somehow makes them tacky!!!!

There were not that many Hotels when we were there, but now there are a few different chains such as Sofitel among others.Transport there is only really taxi unless you booked a guided tour and travel on a coach. The weather was warm and can get very hot in the afternoon. so you would be better doing Museums with Air Conditioning then.

I do think that the Pyramids are a must see and it is a shame, as people tend to visit the beach resorts of Sharm El Sheik. I would like to go back and see see the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. There is so much history and so much to see, you could spend a week and still not see everything. I believe that Giza has changed in the 12 years since I have been, so I just hope that it has not been made more tacky than it already was.

Stockholm September 1997.

This trip was a Familiarisation trip with Finnair (hosted by David Redshaw). There were about 10 of us from different travel companies. We flew to Stockholm direct from Manchester in Business class. To be honest, the seats are pretty much the same and business class cabin is only separated by a curtain. We did receive a dinner and free drinks on board.





On arrival at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, we transferred to the First Hotel Reisen in the city Centre. First Hotels are one of the main Hotel Chains in Scandinavia. The Hotel Reisen is a 5* Hotel near to the Royal Palace and is very central. The rooms are very nice and the hotel has a Wellness Spa as well as Conference and Banqueting facilities. We met in the bar for drinks after checking in....
We had a tour of the Hotel the next day and got to see all the facilities and their best rooms.

We only had a couple of days, so went on a sightseeing trip. Stockholm is built on 14 Islands. There are lots of museums to visit including the Viking Vasa Museum. We also saw the Royal Palace and the City Hall where the Nobel Peace Prize Banquet is held every year. The shops are really nice, but beware Sweden is very expensive, they use the SEK Swedish Krone.

Even though it is expensive, it is a beautiful place to visit with lots of nice bars and restaurants and plenty to see and do. We had lunch at the Scandic Sergel Plaza in Stockholm's Old Town.

The Sergel Plaza is also a really nice Hotel and has a Spa and Fitness Gym and is in a very good Location. Scandic Hotels are another leading chain in Scandinavia.

After lunch and our visit to the Vasa Viking Museum we made our way to the Silija Line Terminal for our Ferry to Helsinki. Silija Line is the main company that sails between Scandinavia and the Baltic Regions. We all had our own private cabins which were en suite and quite big. After dumping our bags, we met at the Star Dust bar for drinks before dinner. The bar was really nice, I am just glad we did not have to pay for the drinks!!!!!!!!

The dinner was a buffet style and they had loads of different dishes and choice. There is entertainment and cabaret on board and a disco after. The boat was really busy with people who told us they commute between Helsinki and Stockholm. They must be mad!!!, I could not do that every week!!!!!! (Although it is like a floating Hotel.) Everybody had sore head the next morning as the disco went on till about 3am and the drinks kept flowing!!!!!!!

Breakfast was about 0800 the next morning on the boat and we all felt very rough!!!!!

We had to disembark by 0930 but we just wanted to sleep!!!!
We transferred by coach to our city Tour of Helsinki. Helsinki is a nice city, again expensive but there are lots to see and do. There is Senate Square, Korkeasaari Zoo, National Museum of Finland among others. There is also the Linnanmaki Amusement Park for the kids and adults if you like.!!!!! The weather when we were there was dark and wet which was a complete contrast from Stockholm which was really sunny and warm. We probably did not appreciate the tour as much as we should have as everybody was really hung over!!!!! In Helsinki they use the Euro.

After the City Tour we were taken to the Strand Intercontinental in Helsinki for lunch (Now the Hilton Helsinki Strand). The hotel is a Luxury Hotel close to the shops and has a rooftop Swedish Sauna which we all decided to try. The hotel also has a gym, pool and very nice restaurant. The food is nice in Sweden and Helsinki, but if like me you do not like rare steak then do not order it. Well don't means cooked on the outside and rare inside, the Scandinavians do not appear to to 'Well done' on any food.

After our very nice lunch, we made out way back to Helsinki Airport for the evening flight back to Manchester. The trip was great and I would definitely like to go back to Stockholm to explore on my own. Ryanair now fly to Nykoping which is a cheaper alternative to flying to Stockholm Arlanda. Nykoping is approx 55 miles from Stockholm. There are lots of hotels to suit all budgets in Stockholm and Helsinki.

Moscow 1996

We flew to Moscow on 02 Aug 1996 for 3 nights with Lufthansa via Frankfurt, and had booked into the Aerostar Hotel. This hotel was only about 5 years old and was one of the first 4* Hotels in Moscow at the time. From the outside it is a really ugly Communist building all grey and looked like an office block!!!!!

It reminded me of Forte Posthouse Hotels (as they were at the time!!!!) as they looked like office buildings (in my humble opinion!!!!).

Inside the hotel was a different story as it was lovely and the rooms were quite big, nice and clean. The currency in Russia is the Rouble (but they prefer US Dollar!!!!) and it was quite cheap when we were there. A visa is required for most passport holders outside Russia. You can check on the following website TLCS

Moscow is a strange city. You have the amazing buildings of St Basil's Cathedral in Red Square which is also amazing and the Kremlin building but the other buildings are nearly all gray blocks!!! We booked a guided tour which was good as we learned a lot about the Soviet way.

The must see sights are obviously Red Square The Kremlin, Lenin Mausoleum, Resurrection Gate and the Iberian Chapel among others. Moscow is famous for the Bolshoi Ballet, this is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. If they are ever playing in your home town, you should definitely go and see them.

There is a great underground system in Moscow, its just unfortunate that if you can't understand Russian, you will probably not be able to use it!!!!! The underground is amazing, it is like walking into an art gallery. There are beautiful paintings and Murals on the walls and ceilings.

They Russians must be proud of their underground as we never saw any vandalism while we were there in any of the stations. We really struggled with the maps and the staff did not speak any English nor us Russian, so we had to make a guess on where to get on and off.

We went to the Izmailovsky Market which is a really good place to go for Soviet Souvenirs, Russian Dolls, Bags and Jewellery among other things. Haggling is a must. There are street entertainers and food vendors and you can pick up some bargains!!!!!!

The one thing I was surprised about is was that on the streets there are people trying to sell you loaves of bread, bottles of vodka even their tatty slippers. They are
almost begging for you to buy their stuff!!!!!

We were told we should visit McDonald's as at the time it was the largest McDonald's in the world and quite famous, as years before when it first opened people were queuing for miles to get in. I thought I would set a challenge to see if I could buy something and get what I asked for!!!! Bear in mind that everything is in Russian and I don't speak Russian and the staff did not speak English I had ordered a Big Mac Meal plain!!!! (no cheese, gherkins or salad!!!!) just burger and bun. They actually got it spot on!!!!! McDonald's rarely get it right when I order in my country never mind Russia that has a different alphabet!!!!! I was very impressed!!!!!

The transport system is mainly the Underground or taxis which are fairly cheap!!!! But like in most European Cities, the drivers are mad!!!!!!

There are buses but they are not as frequent and you will probably struggle to be understood.

Moscow has changed a lot since I went in 1996, there are a lot more hotels and big names appear in concerts over there.

The next time I go to Russia, will hopefully to visit St Petersburg as that is next on my list. There are a lot more airlines that fly to Russia including British Airways and British Midland direct from Heathrow!!!!!
Other airlines are available indirect.

Miami 2004

We flew to Miami in June 2004 with American Airlines via Boston and stayed at the Albion Hotel in South Beach Miami.

The flights on American were great as on the Manchester Boston flight, they use an aircraft that was previously used internally in the USA, so if you are lucky enough to get book a seat in the first 6 rows, this is the old first class so very big seats and extra leg room. On this particularly flight it is sold as an all economy service. It was nice to have loads of room!!!!!

The Albion Hotel is a nice hotel in a very good area just 5 minutes walk from Ocean Drive which is the heart of the Art Deco area and where the beach is. Just be prepared if you go to Miami that it is very expensive and when you dine or have any service where you would normally pay a tip, they automatically add a 15% tip to your bill. I think this is a bit cheeky really and have never know this anywhere else in the USA that I have been to. They do say that you can ask them to take the tip off if you are not happy with the service, but I would not do that!!!!!

South Beach is definitely the place to stay and be seen and loads of Celebrities have houses or restaurants there. We had breakfast one morning in Gloria Estefan's Hotel the Cardozo. When we were there, one night as we were going out there was a red carpet and loads of paparazzi, and crowds outside a hotel near where we were staying. When I asked somebody what was going on they told me that Marc Antony was doing a gig or appearance and his new wife (Jennifer Lopez) was attending!!!! They had got married about a week previously. Justin Timberlake was also in town but we never saw him. We did however see a famous footballer by the name of Rio Ferdinand!!!!! He was stood behind us in the Queue and sat on the table next to ours in the pub. It was the European Championships and he was still on his ban for missing a drug test!!!! He was with his team mate Wes Brown who also plays for Manchester United.


There are quite a lot of things to do in Miami apart from the obvious!!!!! (sunbathing, drinking, water and beach sports!!!!).

Versace's House (Casa Causuarina) is one of the most photographed properties on South Beach and is now a private members club. For some strange reason there was loads of people getting their picture taken on the steps where he was shot!!!!! How creepy is that!!!!!

You should really have a walk up Ocean Drive and Collins Ave and see the different coloured and styled Art Deco Hotels. Even the Starbucks is done Art Deco Style.

You can take a boat trip to Star Island which is basically what is says on the tin!!!!! It is an artificial Island in Biscayne Bay between Miami and Miami Beach. Famous celebrities who have properties include Madonna, Will Smith, Gloria Estefan and many more. The tour is about 1 hour and you get great views of Miami from the boat.


We also did a tour of Miami and surrounding areas where we visited Coral Gables, The Biltmore, The Venetian Pool, Coconut Grove and Little Havana. If you decide to do this sort of tour, make sure that you book a tour which allows you to get off and take photos. We had a grumpy driver from Argentina who would not stop and let us take photographs. We really wanted to take photos of the Venetian Pool and at Little Havana. Little Havana is a must see area including Maximo Gomez Park or Domino Park as it is known. There are domino tournaments and games played by the residents of Little Havana. There are lots of shops and restaurants all with a Cuban and Latin American theme.

The Venetian Pool is known as one of the most beautiful pools in the world as it is famous with celebs and has waterfalls, and fresh water. We liked Coconut Grove as it was different to Miami and had lots of nice shops and restaurants, so we went back the next day on our own.

We had our breakfast most mornings in the News Cafe on Ocean Drive. It is open 24 hours and is great for people watching. It is just a couple of blocks from Gianni Versace's House and it is said that he had his breakfast there the morning he was killed!!! The News cafe also offer great cocktails. The China Grill is the place to be seen in, (if you can get a table!!!!) as it is always full of celebs and is very hard to book unless your surname is Diaz or Lopez!!!!.

The Pelican Hotel is a trendy Hotel to stay in if you can get a room.

We had tried but it was full when we were going. It is owned by the Diesel Jeans company. It is on Ocean Drive overlooking the beach. It has 30 rooms and every one is different from the 'Me Tarzan You Vain' room to 'Born in the stars and Stripes' Room. It has tastes for everyone. You can check out the website for a nosey!!!!!!!....

Another day trip we did was the Everglades. This was really good and you can see lots of amazing birds, plants and flowers while dodging the crocodiles and Alligators.

The boats skim the water quickly at some parts, so hold onto your hats and glasses!!!!!. There is a presentation with a couple of alligator and Crocs we learned that the alligator will run from you while the crocs will run after you!!!!!.

I would recommend visiting the Holocaust Memorial at Dade Boulevard Miami Beach. It is free Entrance and one of the most moving attractions I have ever seen. The 42 foot sculpture below is the centre piece with lots of images and photos of the 6 million Jewish people who lost their lives. It is a very peaceful and quiet memorial and when you see it, you realise how lucky you are to not have been around at that time!!!!!

I did really like Miami, but it is very expensive, it has fantastic beaches and lots of people combine it with a trip to the Florida Keys. The people we met were very friendly, and perhaps one day we will go back after we have been everywhere else we want to visit......

Prague 2003

We flew to Prague on 27 December 2003 for a 3 night winter break in between Christmas and New Year. We had been told that it was a really nice place to go and it has a Christmas market. We flew with BMI Baby from Manchester, and stayed at the Renaissance in Prague (now the Courtyard Marriott).
It was a really nice hotel and centrally located as it was about a 10 minute walk to Wencesles Square. Prague has lots of really old buildings and the square is lovely at Christmas time as they have the Christmas market there. The market has lots of stalls selling all sorts of souvenirs.
They are very big on gingerbread and loads of the stalls were selling gingerbread, sausages, hot wine and pretty much anything else. There is also a children's play area and a stable with real animals including a Llama.



It was very cold while we were there, but I always think it is different when you are on holiday and we knew it was going to be cold anyway. We got a bit of snow but not enough for it to stick. There are lots of shops and cafes, and in the square there are lots of cafes with tables and chairs outside and big patio heaters so you can still sit outside in winter. The shops sell a lot of glass souvenirs, plates and Russian Dolls everywhere. Prague is split into the old town and new town. Powder Gate in the old town is worth a visit for the spectacular views over the rooftops. Charles Bridge is one of the most popular sights to see in Prague. Charles bridge is always busy and has artists offering to paint your portrait and people selling knick knacks and the such.




In the Old town you should visit St Nicholas Church which has beautiful paintings on the ceiling and is stunning. Also in the old town is The Old Town Hall which has a clock which every hour on the hour a skeleton and 12 apostles appear, which when we read the guide book it sounds like a must see attraction, but to be honest is over rated and was not that good!!!!Wencesles Square, Charles Square and the Church of St Stephen are in all in the New Town. A nice walk up the steep hill to Prague Castle is recommended (it will do your calves the world of good!!!!) and has spectacular views over the city. The Jewish Quarter is also worth visiting. Prague is very cheap for food and drink and is also now popular with Stag and Hens as it is easy to get to and has lots of bars and restaurants. One bar that we were told me must visit was the Be Bop Bar at the Radisson SAS. It serves cocktails and authentic Czech food and it has Jazz evenings.

There are plenty of shops in Prague and department stores including C and A and Debenhams. There is also a Tesco but it is a department store rather than a food store like in the UK.
The currency used is Euro. There are lots of narrow streets filled with souvenir shops and so many of them selling tourist tat!!!!!
As my husband and I are football fans, we decided to check out Sparta Prague Football Club's ground. After finally finding somebody to understand us, we discovered we had to use the underground to get there. In the UK we just assume that everybody knows what you are on about when talking about football because it is our main sport, and you forget that it is not like that in other countries. It took us ages to figure out the underground as we are not big on the Czech Language and then we got off at the wrong stop and walked about a mile in the wrong direction!!!!! When we finally got going in the right direction we noticed how different the buildings were in this suburb of Prague.



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They were all grey concrete buildings and how you would imagine it to have been when it was a Communist Country. Sparta Prague's ground was quite big and looked quite smart (from the little bit we saw of it!!!) It was all locked up and there was a notice up saying they were on a winter break!!! (We think that was the gist of it anyway!!!!) Steve had wanted to buy a souvenir from the shop (being football mad!!!) and that was all shut up too!!

We looked everywhere for some sort of Sparta souvenir when we got back to the main shops and even when we found a massive sports shop they had footie shirts for Liverpool, Man United and other European Clubs which I found to be really strange, but there you go, what do I know!!!!

We made a pact to avoid Irish pubs (not that there is anything wrong with Irish pubs!!!! they are great!!!!), but everywhere in the world we have been, there has always been at least 2 and they always look the same!!!!!


Prague is great for a short city break as it has everything you could want whether it be drinking, museums, eating, shopping or all these things then Prague is the place for you. I would like to go back in the summer when it is a bit warmer!!! Bmi Baby Jet 2 and Czech Airlines all fly to Prague. (Other more famous airlines are available!!!!!)