Italy - Puglia - down at the heel - October 2023

 Polignano-a-mare -  A week in Puglia - 27th October to 3rd November 2023

Via Roma - home to Restaurants and Bars

After the chaos that is Stansted we boarded a predictably basic Ryanair flight to Bari. My neighbour in the window seat appeared to have a weak bladder and made repeated trips to the loo.  At each ‘excuse’ me TW became increasingly convinced he was ill and sank even deeper into her ‘isolating jacket’ until only the top of her head was visible. 

We arrived at Bari Airport too late for a train to Polignano and so instead we took a speedy taxi through the gloom on a 45 minute ride. It proved to be a good option. If we had caught a train we would have needed to drag our cases a considerable distance from the Railway Station to our Apartment.  Our Andres Holiday House was lovely. It was on the first floor of one of the white painted houses quite close to the centre. 
Polignano is famous for its diving competitions and also for the song Volare. Volare was written by Domenico Modugno who was born in the town. The lyrics are up in lights on the Via Roma and he has a massive statue in town. It was Italy's entry in in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1958. It didn't win but it became very popular. Via Roma was the scene of our first culinary expedition, a late Dinner at Olio su Pane. It was late but there was a nice atmosphere as we sat out watching the people go by. Polignano is a great place to wander. Lots of narrow streets lined by whitewashed houses. It is famous for a diving competition where fearless individuals launch themselves from building high above the beach. Not for us!

Volare oh oh

The Old Town in Polignano

On the Beach - Lama Monachile

We decided not to hire a car on this trip and used the trains serving the local area. The nearby Town of Monopoli was our first destination. It's a small coastal town to the South.

Monopoli - 30th October 2023

The Railway Station was quite a long uphill walk away from our apartment in the centre. The train service was pretty good. Nice views of the fields of Olive Trees as we sped towards Monopoli. We had a lovely lunch break in Bar Pizzeria Porto Rosso. Good food and great seaside views.

Gasperini Gelateria

A very nice Ice Cream Shop in Monopoli, Gasperini Gelateria was too good for TW to pass by without giving their Gelato an appraisal. They made the grade.

Lecce - 31st October 2023

Our second excursion by train was to the lovely City Of Lecce. We had to change trains at Monopoli and, in total, it took about 1hr 45mins but it. was worth the journey. It's a lovely old City with magnificent architecture.  Beautiful baroque buildings and a Roman Amphitheatre. Lecce is a great City to walk around. 

Osteria Da Angiulino, a traditional Puglian Restaurant, was our choice for lunch. It's a very popular traditional Restaurant serving local specialities. There seemed to be quite a few locals enjoying their lunch, always a good sign. We were lucky to get a table and really enjoyed it.

Roman Amphitheatre

Triumphal Arch

Bari - 1st November 2023

Bari is easily visited by train from Polignano. It was a wet day but we had a long walk around the old part of town. We were able to sit outside under cover at the Bar Templari for lunch. We hadn't expected,it but Bari also has a really smart shopping area

A smart shop in Bari

We were back in Polignano for Dinner at La Rotellina. We visited this Restaurant several times. Its a nice inexpensive restaurant serving good food.

La Rotellina

Restaurant Antiche Mura

We tried one of the posher venues in Via Roma - Restaurant Antiche Mura. It appears to be in a cellar but it is very smart and a recommended place for seafood.

Volare oh oh

3rd November - Heading Home

TW takes the train

Time to leave and our friendly host gave us a lift to the Railway Station. There were no taxis available and it is a bit of a hike to the Station with bags so his offer was moth welcome. The train is a good way to get to Bari Airport, one change at Bari Centrale

Ireland - Clare and Galway - 2023

4th June - Heading for the Emerald Isle

A leisurely late flight to Dublin from Bournemouth on a warm evening and we were soon ensconced in the Crown Plaza and ready for an early night. Quite a smart Hotel, could be anywhere of course. 

5th June - Crossing the Island

Next morning a very good Birthday Breakfast made a great start to the day. We had to pick up our Hire Car so it was back to the Airport and a long queue at Europcar. A large number of American tourists had just flown in. Eventually we were shuttled to the depot to pick up our lovely little car, a Hybrid Yaris. TW likes to fully inspect the car and photograph its most intimate details but eventually we were on our way, heading West towards Lahinch on the West Coast.

The roads are pretty good but we had to pass through two conventional 'pay at the booth' tolls and one camera operated electronic toll. It was a 'live now pay later' on a website, just hoping we got it right!

Our Accomodation in Lahinch was great. It was an annex next to a youngish couples home. It definitely suited us. We took a wander into town, about 15 minutes away. It was heaving as it was a Bank Holiday. Our hosts had given us some good tips on places to go and they recommended the Lahinch Golf Club.  We tried to book for Dinner later on but they said it was too busy. However we could eat early! We opted for an early Fish and Chip Dinner and, in my case, a Birthday Guinness. Lovely!

This was the first of several Golf Course visits on our trip. Good friendly places with fair prices and great views. 

6th June - Tour De Clare

Great weather and a super day to rent e-bikes. We arranged for them to be delivered to our digs by a friendly chap from Doolin. TW had a decent bike with a Bosch engine. Mine was a bit basic. The motor was built into the front wheel and it definitely struggled on the hills as we made our way to Doolin and back. Yours truly was somewhat in the dog-house at one point when my planned cycle route became a difficult cycle walk on a very rough farm track. TW claimed to have seen snake poo on the trail which I said was impossible as this was Ireland and St. Patrick had seen them off. She remains unconvinced. We had a pleasant lunch of Irish Stew in a Doolin Pub before heading back to Lahinch on a circular route. 

We stayed on the roads for the return. They were inclined to be steep but scenic. We were chased by horses at one point but made it home safely. Dinner was set for us at the Lahinch Golf Club. We went by bike and had another pleasant evening. We hadn't realised previously how prestigious and historic the course is. It's one of the top Links courses in the world but, despite that, the Club House is friendly and the food is pretty good. 

Our bike man picked up up our steeds at 9pm so we made good use of our day hire.

7th June - Dolphin Day

We jumped in the Yaris for a little tour down the Coast. Our favourite stop was at Whitestrand. It has a lovely Bay and we walked North along the Coastal Path for some distance. We were so lucky with the weather. It was sunny with a cooling breeze. Everyone told us the weather was exceptional as it normally rains a lot! The scenery was great and we delighted in watching a dolphin that seemed to enjoy playing with the locals. In the bay it chased canoeists but, further round the coast, a paddle boarder in a bikini was its main attraction. We watched it for quite a while, the dolphin that is!

June 8th Lahinch to Oughterard

After 3 nights at Lahinch it was time time to pack up and head North to Connemara.

A nice quiet road until we hit Galway City where we crawled our way through. Galway looks modern and prosperous. Our destination was the small town of Oughterard about 25km North West.  We decided to stop for Lunch at  a Restaurant just short of our next home. Turns out the place we picked was the Oughterard Golf Club. Looked a nice course, not a seaside links this time. Very green with lots of trees. The local golfers were chatty and friendly and we had a good lunch with a great view. We then pushed on to our new digs, Gem in Connemara, down Pier Road. A very nice Lakeside property although we could not see Lough Corrib from our Apartment. Quite a few bugs around! Our Apartment was nice and well equipped but expensive. Fun seeing the animals and it was a pleasant walk into town.

Puppy Siesta

The owner bred dogs and a new litter of puppies was on hand. TW was allowed to hold one. A first for TW and both her, and the little doggie, found it a bit stressful. We  had dinner at Greenways in the village. Good food but a bit pricey.

June 9th Kylemore Abbey

We were proper tourists today and headed for the local attraction Kylemore Abbey. Definitely on the 'Circuit'! We had a good walk around and it was a very pleasant excursion. It is supposed to be the home of an Order of Benedictine Nuns - but there were none to be seen! The food was nothing to shout about.

On the way there we had a pit-stop at the Misunderstood Heron. Quite a famous food truck in these parts and well worth a stop. Coffee and Cake with a nice view of an Irish Fjord - Killary Fjord. The scenic drive was probably the highlight of the day. We completed a long circuit of Connemara with a visit to Clifton on the Coast.

The Misunderstood Heron

June 10th 

On our final full day in Ireland we headed South to the Northern side of Galway Bay. We had a pleasant seaside stroll in the town of Spiddal. It was bit of a dull day but we wandered a while with a friendly local married to a Yorkshire lass and then went for a coffee in the Ronda Coffee Shop on the Main Street. We had a pleasant chat with the owner of this recently expanded enterprise. Quite a lot of Gaelic is spoken around the area, we spoke English. 

We were recommended to have lunch further west at Pota. It was packed on this rainy Saturday so we had to sit outside. The food was interesting, not really to our taste, but at least we did not get wet. After lunch we headed west along the rugged coastline. Lots of little islands and causeways. It would be a fine area to cycle around. Time to head back to Oughterard and Dinner at the local Pub, Powers Thatch. Fish and Chips with a Guinness, lovely! Powers Thatch is a traditional well run pub and highly recommended. 

 

Last Supper in Oughterard

France - Carcassonne

 A short hop from Bournemouth Airport took us to Carcassonne on the Canal du Midi. We stayed in Villa Rene in Trebes. Our accomodation was perfect. We had a pool and bikes were provided. Getting the cover off the pool was a bit of a challenge. We mastered it after a week of struggle.

Rustic buildings

Village life

On the Canal du Midi 

Taking the plunge

Touring Trebes

Window dressing

Hanging Basket

Scotland - A Postcard from up North - Ballater and Crovie

29th October 2022

After a lovely day attending a family Wedding in Chester we headed North, destination Stirling. Our in- transit to the North night stop at the Holiday Inn Express went well. We were pretty tired but we certainly enjoyed a good meal at the Springkerse View Pub next door. 

30th October 2022 Ballater

Next morning, we demolished the buffet Breakfast before hitting the Old Military Road towards Braemar. On the way we stopped for coffee in Glenshee. Some hardy types were out walking. The ski lifts only added to the desolation. The only bright spot was a retired rescue dog wandering the Cafe in search of treats and affection. It was damp and quite depressing but, despite the gloom, the wild drive on the A93 to Braemar was pretty special. It was our first visit to Royal Deeside and we were certainly not disappointed. Braemar's claim to fame is hosting the Highland Games. Not today of course, we had a leisurely wander around the smart little town. It was Sunday and the last day of half-term so it was pretty busy. We saw our first red squirrel and maybe saved it from getting run over We had ambitions to enjoy Sunday Lunch at the Fife Arms, a very nice traditional country hotel. Sadly we just missed out on the last table in the Pub section. 

Lunch at the Fife Arms anyone?

Fife Arms -Bit smart for us in our travelling gear

I think we are in Scotland?

We were offered a table in the smart Hotel Restaurant, kilts not obligatory, but opted for the Bothie Cafe around the corner. This was perfect for us. An interesting bowl of hot parsnip and Maple Soup with a big slice of homemade Date Cake. I'm a big fan of parsnips, the combination with maple was a little sweet for me but, none the less, emptying my bowl was not a problem! The Date Cake was lovely. Our home for the next 3 nights was the Dormie Cottage up the road in Ballater and we enjoyed the leisurely drive along the River Dee to our new home. The trees decked out in their autumn colours and the green fields dotted with sheep formed a great backdrop to the first phase of our Scottish adventure. The Dormie Cottage was not a wee place and it took us a while to find our way around and get settled in. Most important task was sorting the heating and hot water as, on arrival, it was pretty chilly.  With radiators glowing we headed into the small town of Ballater. We found the tourist office in the disused, but very smartly restored, Ballater Railway Station. Queen Victoria used the station when going to Balmoral and a replica of the royal carriage is parked in the Station. The tourist office ladies were very nice and helpful and gave us a few tips on what to do in the Area. The local train line was one of the victims of Dr Beaching's cuts.

31st October 2022 - Crathes Castle

Crathes Castle

Monday morning and we headed East along the Dee to Crathes Castle. We were told it was open on Monday by the Tourist Office but, sadly, it was closed. They had, like us, checked the National Trust website and been led astray. The grounds were open so we had good walk in the woods and saw some lovely Highland Cattle.

 

That is our kind of cow

With the forecast of rain proving accurate and with good appetites we headed for The Boat Inn on the Riverside in Aboyne. We ate pretty well in this friendly pub with good service. A ladies group at an adjacent table were making Halloween decorations. Halloween seems to be a big thing in Scotland, lots of the shops in Ballater had made a big effort to decorate their windows with witches and spiders etc..

It gets dark early dark early up here but that is no excuse for me falling asleep in the car when parked outside a cafe in Ballater. Apparently passers-by were a bit worried about me. TW bought me a wooly hat and gloves, not exactly Dorset temperatures in Deeside

1st November Loch Muick

Loch Muick

A walk on the Balmoral Estate. Much of the Balmoral Estate is open for hikers and we opted for a Lakeside wander at Loch Muick. Even though it can be approached by road and has a chargeable Car Park at Spittal of Glenmuick it felt as though we were out in the depths of the moors. Very unspoiled with wide vistas and no crowds. The Muick was our best walk.

The access road up to Spittal was a long and winding and single track. It must have been ten miles. Luckily we did not meet many cars coming the other way.

The weather was quite pleasant when we set out on our walk but after a couple of hours the dark clouds were forming over the mountains and we beat a hasty retreat back to our car.

We were too late for our planned whisky tour at Lochnagar so we had to settle for a coffee and a very underwhelming pie with salad and rice in a Cafe near Crathie. Crathie Kirk, where the Queen attended services, was just up the road. It was closed for the winter but looked very familiar from the outside.

2nd November - Balmoral Castle and Crovie

Balmoral Castle

Jacqui Deeside

Time to pack up and head further North but not before visiting Balmoral Castle. The Castle Grounds were open to visitors on Wednesday following the recent death of the Queen. Normally its only open in Summer. Very impressed with the place, we could understand why the Queen loved to visit.

Our little cottage in Crovie -single window at the front a third of the way from the right

The drive North was hard work. We had decided on a cross-country route via Huntly but yet again we were bedeviled by diversions so it took a lot longer than we expected. And the weather detoriated. By the time we reached Crovie there was quite a storm. Our Fishermans Cottage was right on the seafront and to get TW's baggage and our provisions  along there we had to use a wheel-barrow from the car park. Bit of a chore because we could not find our barrow? In the end we hijacked one and struggled along the waters edge to our little place. It had one of those impenetrable key safes but we managed to apply the secret code and open it eventually! 

The small cottage had been extended into the roof and it had two slopey roofed bedrooms accessed by a narrow staircase. A decent bathroom had been added at the rear of the property. The route for any nocturnal wee breaks was therefore quite tortuous! Miraculously I managed to avoid banging my head.

Now that's a sea view! Our lounge window

The lounge had a great view of the sea from its single window the heating worked and the owners left us a nice bottle of Red, what's not to like?

Crovie

Loading the wheel-barrow

November 3rd Gardenstown

Gardenstown

Seatown beach - doesn't get much sun at this time of year

After a stormy night the weather was transformed, blue skies and no wind. There are no shops or pubs in Crovie but its only a short walk along the seafront to the neighbouring village of Gardenstown. When the tides in it's a walk up the hill and then along the cliff top. There is a Spar and a Pub, open in the evening, and a nice little friendly Cafe, hosted by, and called Eli's. When we rolled up to Eli's for lunch she was busy shifting furniture to try and make space for her Christmas Tree. Nice Lady. We did go to the Spar but we missed the pub, the Garden Arms, open in the evenings only. The dark nights precluded walking on the seafront. With our accident records negotiating a kelp strewn beach in the dark at night could have been fatal. TW did not fancy driving back at night either, the road is really steep and I would have been unable, hic!

Pity though as we could have had dinner and a quiz on Thursdays. No complaints though as we had a full kitchen to prepare a nice meal to go with our free wine.

November 4th 

A local Hero - in Pennen

A sheep with no legs? - near Troup Head

We jumped in the car and took the short but bumpy road to Troup Head RSPB reserve just to the West of Crovie. Unfortunately the Gannets had already departed for warmer climes. There's avian flu about so it deterred us from staying too long and we headed to Pennan, another nice little coastal village. It was where Local Hero was filmed.

Aberdeenshire is a big Farming Area

No coffee place in Penne so we headed inland to Delgatie Castle near Turriff for lunch in the Lairds Kitchen. We had a decent feed. The castle is a bit unusual and has a lived-in look but worth a wander through.

Dalgethie Castle

The bedchamber!

Our 3 nights in Crovie went far too quickly and it was soon time to refill our wheel barrow and head back South.

November 5th - Southwards and St Andrews

Another wet day so we decided against the coastal route through Arbroath. TW wanted to see Dundee. I think she expected it to be much prettier but we drove around a few times before heading over the Estuary to St Andrews. St. Andrews seemed quite prosperous with lots of students and tourists in the shopping area. We walked a few holes of The Old Course before stopping for a coffee in the Tom Morris Grill. This was a lovely modern establishment with very good views and excellent Customer Service. Would have been nice to stay longer but we were booked further South.

Sun setting on St Andrews

Very impressive bridges as we crossed over the Forth towards Edinburgh heading for the Dakota Hotel a nice modern hotel at Queensferry. The Hotel Restaurant was fully booked so we either had to drive again to town, go hungry or go Tesco. We chose the latter and had a picnic in the room. It was an extremely busy Hotel with all sorts of functions going on. Bit of a contrast with our little Fisherman's Cottage but very comfortable room.

Hazardous on the Course

November 6th - RY Britannia and Edinburgh

We skipped Breakfast at the Hotel and headed for Leith, about 20 minutes journey. Unusually, we had planned our day in advance. We knew we had to park on level 5 of the the Blue multi-story which was free and we would be on the right level for the Britannia Reception. We had Breakfast in Costa Coffee before heading for the boat. The Britannia tour was brilliant. We had an audio tour on a handset that was clear and interesting and that we were able to stop and start wherever we liked.

In the Admirals seat.

We also had a decent lunch on board, not up to Royal Family standards of course but OK for us. We were amazed at how primitive the technology seemed to be and also the contrast between the Crews Quarters and the Royal 'Palace' at the rear of ship. All very hierarchical depending on Rank and Birth. Mind you the Queen had a very small bed and the Royal area was actually quite homely. Easy to understand why the Queen was upset to say goodbye to Britannia, its easy to imagine the Britannia turning up at some remote island with the crowds on the Quay. A Royal Marine Band on-call for entertainment after Dinner

50's Telephone

Put the flags out for us?

Marines Quarters

State Dining

Precision place setting

The Queens bedchamber

HM Drinks Cabinet, Dubonnet?

Anyone for Wombat Tennis

Setting Sail

The Engine Room

Britannia from the Car Park

Edinburgh
They are building a tram network in Edinburgh so there were roadworks everywhere. Parking in the City is very tricky so we left our motor in the free car park. We opted for the number 11 bus from Leith into the City. It worked out very well, although could not use my bus pass? 

Edinburgh - Royal Mile

St Giles Cathedral

Pipe and Drum

Sunsetting on our Scottish adventure

Edinburgh was busy with Tourists but we enjoyed a few hours before heading South in the darkness to Moffat and the Moffat arms Hotel, a very fine Hotel to finish our trip North of the border.