13 October 2015

River cruising is becoming increasingly popular as a way of seeing culture and scenery of several cities and even countries, without having to pack and unpack your suitcase many times. I was very lucky to be one of the Travel Counsellors to be invited on board the new Tapestry ll to cruise the first four nights of their Paris to Normandy landing beaches cruise at the end of September. We flew from our regional airports to be met and transferred to a central Paris hotel where refreshments are available and an optional excursion to the Eiffel Tower was also available and most of our group took the advantage of seeing Paris from this iconic landmark. We transferred to the beautiful Tapestry ll after this and what a beautiful vessel she is. After the safety drill and a welcome talk given by the amazing Cruise Director Jean Loup. We had our first dinner on board and what a culinary delight. I'm pleased that there were plenty of included excursions to walk off the excesses of the restaurant and with wine included was a very pleasant start to the first evening. Up bright and early the following morning we had arrived in Vernon, a lovely little town. We had a choice of included excursions to either visit Monet's Garden at Giverny or the Chateau de Bizy also called small Versailles. In the afternoon we set sail bound for Andelys where we could walk uphill to the Chateau Gaillard or a walking tour of Andelys. Or of course you can just do your own thing. The next day we awoke in Caudebec and had a choice of included trips to visit the 'Abbey' Road or the Thatched Cottage road and in the afternoon there was an additional excursion to Honfleur if you wished. In the late afternoon was an in depth talk about the Norman Beaches where two excursions were heading the following day. One to the British and Canadian beaches and the other to the American beaches, or there was an alternative to take in the tastes of Normandy which included visiting the Bayeux Tapestry, lunch at a traditional Norman restaurant and finishing with a tasting at a Calvados Distillery. Unfortunately our trip had come to an end and the following morning after time to have a look round Rouen, we had to leave our newfound friends to finish their cruise as we all went back to Paris to catch our various means of transport back home. I would like to say that the cabins on board were absolutely fabulous and for those of us with larger pockets, the two Royal suites were unbelievable. The food and staff were second to none and I can recommend this cruise to anyone who fancies a change of holiday.

01 November 2011

I was very excited to be invited to take part in an educational trip to the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany in September. I used to visit the Rheingau region many years ago and this area was just across the Rhine from there. We were a small group of six agents travelling from London, Birmingham, Dublin and Manchester and were escorted by the lovely Silke from the German National Tourist Office in London. We flew from our local airports and were all in Frankfurt nice and early, ready to set off on our short trip around the region to discover more about the wine, culture and nature in this area. Out first stop was Mainz where we had a city tour and the most wonderful lunch where they had selected wines to go with each of the dishes on offer. We checked into our hotel and had a quick look around and had a few minutes to get showered and changed before departing to the Red Wine Festival in Ingelheim. We were treated like royalty and again tasted an amazing array of wines from local Wineries. We were also introduced to the new Wine Princesses for the area…and more food! The next morning we were up early and checked out after breakfast, ready to set off to Alzey-Dautenheim where we were driven around the vineyard. As the weather was absolutely wonderful, we had our wine tasting on the hillside overlooking the beautiful Rheinhessen....amazing. We then moved on to the next town for another wonderful lunch with each course again matched to the wines that we were sampling. After lunch we visited the Hambacher Castle, a very steep walk so not for anyone with walking or breathing issues, but it had great views. Just down the road is the town of Neustadt an der Weinstrasse which is very pretty and we had a walking tour around the main areas which culminated in yet another glass of wine! It's a shame we couldn't stay here, but as the Wine Queen for the region was being crowned that evening and there was 'no room at the inn'. However we were staying at a lovely little hotel in Schifferstadt which was renowned for its food....so yet another fabulous meal was enjoyed. The next day we moved onto Bad Durkheim where we took part in a 4.5km walk through the lovely woodland before dropping down into the lovely spa town, and yes we devoured another wonderful meal in a restaurant that is actually built around the world's largest wine barrel. We then walked through the town and visited the Salines, where the salt water is run over blackthorn twigs and the vapours are regarded as a help for people with breathing issues, it certainly did seem to help me. In the evening we visited another local winery for a very interesting tasting, before heading for a nearby restaurant to sample some of the local delicacies. As Sunday dawned I realised that we were on our last day and were going to visit Bingen, which is directly across the Rhine from the town that I had spent so many happy times so long ago. It was very strange to see how so little had changed (I wish that I was wearing as well!) Although there is now a lovely new little museum on the riverbank that explains the history of the river. We drove down the riverbank a few miles to Oberwesel for lunch and then down a little further to see the Lorelei Rock, before commencing our drive back to Frankfurt airport where our happy group had to say our fond farewells before flying home. It was an amazing weekend, a wonderful region and great company too…the trip reminded me of what a beautiful place Germany is and I strongly recommend you go and have a look for yourself. For more details please don't hesitate to give me a call.

29 July 2008

I’d love to tell you a little about a wonderful island that I personally discovered only this year. Many times my good friend and fellow travel agent Chris has told me about her love affair with Grenada, an island in the Eastern Caribbean just 100 miles north of Venezuela………so in May 2008 we decided that was where we would take our holiday. The island is small, roughly 21 miles long by 12 miles wide and inhabited by some of the friendliest people in the Caribbean and that is really going some. Originally occupied by Arawak and Carib Indians it was known as Camerhogue, but when Columbus arrived in 1498 he renamed the island Conception……this was not to last as when the Spanish arrived, they thought that the wonderful lush and hilly area closely mimicked the Andalucían city of Granada so that was it’s name until the French decided that the name of La Grenade was more appropriate and we changed it for the last time to Grenada. The most popular tourist area is around the beautiful Grand Anse Beach where you can hear the wonderful sound of the local people laughing whilst taking their early morning and evening exercise on the beach as well as the tourists chatting to the local beach vendors. These people although obviously wanting to ply you with their wares, will always accept a polite ‘no thank you’ even though with a little bit of haggling you can get yourself a bargain. I would strongly recommend that when you visit Grenada, you hire a car. We had a 4 wheel drive vehicle which worked out at about £25 per day and this opened the door to a lot of great trips for us. We drove over to the wonderful La Sagesse Bay in the parish of St David’s where there is a small mangrove nature area and a lovely small hotel and restaurant where they specialise in seafood dishes cooked by their wonderful chef, a local lady, who has worked there for over 14 years, I guess she likes it there !!!!. There is also a nice beach here where you can relax or walk off the wonderful food that you’ve just eaten. Grenada is known as the Island of Spice and there are old spice plantations all over, some using the age old methods of preserving their nutmeg and other spices. There are also some very old rum distilleries, the oldest being ‘Rivers’ their weaker brew is alleged to be 69 proof; I’d hate to try the strong stuff!!! Another must see is the Capital of Grenada, St Georges, although I would catch a bus rather than try to find a parking space in the labyrinth of one way streets……. it is well geared up for the many cruise ships that call here, however there are also some nice little shops selling local crafts and artwork. There is also the well known ‘Nutmeg Cafe’ which serves good local food and offers a wonderful view of the harbour of St Georges. For the more energetic traveller there are some wonderful inland walks and drives and if you are prepared for real hiking, there are several wonderful waterfalls that are not accessible by vehicle and are absolutely magnificent particularly in the rainy season. The forest reserve of Grand Etang is also well worth a visit, you can drive to the visitor centre and then walk some of the many marked trails. There are also lots of wonderful animals easily spotted in their natural habitat around the large crater lake. With the wealth of flora and fauna and wonderful people……………..it’s a shame just to spend your time on the wonderful beaches of Grenada ……….take a tip, get out and about in this wonderful place and like myself, become smitten. As Arnold Schwarzenegger said 'I'LL BE BACK'