27 June 2018

During a river cruise last year I met a lovely couple, Lee and Jill from Cape May, New Jersey. One of the great things about travel is meeting people and keeping in touch after your holiday has ended, although the chances of seeing them again may be remote. Earlier this year I planned a trip to Massachusetts to stay with a good friend of mine whose daughter was graduating in June and found this the perfect opportunity to take a short flight from Boston to Philadelphia (55 minutes) to see my new friends. The Cape May peninsula is approximately a 1½ hour drive from Philadelphia airport and it lies at the southernmost tip in the state of New Jersey. It is one of the oldest vacation resort destinations in the US with historical roots dating back to the 18th Century and first served Philadelphians escaping the summer heat and still today attracts many tourists. The entire city was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976, so the amazing vintage Victorian architecture has been preserved. It is a place of exquisite beauty and spirit and made all the more beautiful by the total lack of fast food eateries and chain hotels! Instead there is a great selection of small hotels and B&B's and fabulous restaurants many of which are situated in the old historic houses. I ate the best piece of halibut I've ever tasted and the lobster tail was extraordinary. Its other great feature is the shoreline and miles of golden sandy beach which rank among the very best in the US. There is also plenty to do in Cape May apart from beach activities: boating, fishing, hiking, shopping, sight-seeing tours, movie nights on the beach, concerts and a jazz festival. It is also blessed with an abundance of wildlife and its geographical location puts in the path of countless species of migratory birds and butterflies during Spring and Autumn. I loved this place, its charm, its natural beauty which has been so well preserved, good weather especially the summer months and it was made all the more special by meeting up with Lee and Jill who were perfect and most generous hosts (note the limo back to the airport) and are very active in the Cape May local scene. I will definitely return and would highly recommend should you find yourself out that way (perhaps after a visit to Atlantic city which is also close by.)

04 July 2017

Last month I experienced my first ever cruise - sailing along the magnificent Danube from Prague to Vienna, with the US based company, Tauck. It was a 12 day holiday from 8th-19th June with a 2 night stay in both cities and 7 nights on the river. Our journey started at the Intercontinental Hotel in Prague - while this may not be the most beautiful hotel to look at from the outside it more than makes up for with its premium location (just a short walk from the old town and Charles Bridge) and rooftop bar when you are treated to uninterrupted views of the city. Welcome drinks were served on the rooftop where we could meet our fellow passengers followed by dinner in a private room adjoining the bar. After 2 days of architectural wonders our coach took us to Straubing where we boarded the MS Joy and the start of our cruise. I particularly liked that we kept the same coach drivers throughout the whole tour. The MS Joy was indeed a joy - a beautiful ship, well designed with plenty of space all furnished to a high standard. It had a main restaurant but also a more informal café/bar where you could eat breakfast and lunch and have drinks throughout the day. I had a loft cabin which was split level giving you plenty of room but the most amazing feature was its floor to ceiling window which made the cabin unbelievably light and airy. Over the course of the next 7 days we docked at Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Grein, Durnstein, Tulln, Bratislava and Vienna. This is an excellent itinerary taking you through the most stunning parts of the Danube including the Wachau valley and despite being a busy river, in some ports we were the only boat in town. A variety of excursions had been organized along the way with at least 2 choices each day, sometimes 3. They were not just limited to the town where you had docked, for example I took the trip from Regensburg to Munich where we visited the impressive BMW Museum and showroom and the many splendours of the city. From Linz we went back into the Czech Republic to visit the ancient medieval town of Cesky Krumlov which includes Krumlov Castle, one of the largest castle complexes in Central Europe embracing 40 buildings and palaces. By contrast the visit to Mauthausen Memorial, site of an infamous World War II concentration camp was an incredibly moving experience. For those who craved exercise (apart from the gym onboard) there were also bicycles you could use and organized bike rides. I loved Passau, the quintessential Bavarian town, and the magnificent views over the confluence of the 3 rivers and Slovakia's capital Bratislava. How can you fail to be impressed by Vienna! Lavish baroque palaces and wide boulevards, the fabulous Museum of Fine Arts, Schonbrunn Palace, the Vienna Woods a city full of style and sophistication, if a little pricey. We finished the holiday on a high with a gala dinner at the Palais Pallavicini, where we were wined and dined and entertained in style - a special Tauck exclusive. I cannot recommend Tauck highly enough their attention to detail and organization were faultless with excellent customer service. This was an All inclusive holiday and the quality and choice of the food and drink onboard was fantastic. There were opportunities to sample the local cuisine which involved a lot of meat! I am not one for bratwurst but the schnitzels were delicious. Great wine tasting too, as this area of the Danube is home to one of my favourite white wines, Gruner Veltliner. My first experience of river cruising was amazing and I felt very well looked after and as a solo traveler I can recommend this type of holiday. Fellow passengers were friendly and engaging and I was interested to see 2 families onboard with children in their late teens/early 20's, demonstrating that river cruising is not just for the older, retired generation.

24 March 2017

Last weekend, 17th-19th March, I visited Prague for the first time with a good friend of mine from the US. It is one of many places that I have always wanted to visit and it lived up to all expectations. All the pictures you see beforehand are a true representation of this beautiful city. We stayed at the Boscolo Hotel which was a few minutes walk away from the Old Town square, the service was excellent, room very comfortable and great breakfast buffet. As this trip was to celebrate (albeit belatedly) my friend's 50th birthday, I had arranged in advance with the hotel for cake and champagne to be delivered to our room which they were more than happy to do and at no extra cost. Strolling into the Old Town you soon realized that the city centre is compact, making it easy to walk around so over 2 days you can see most of the sights and when you get tired there are plenty of cafes and bars to rest your weary feet. History beckons all around you, from the magnificent gothic and baroque architecture to the Jewish quarter, its cemetery and the extraordinary collection of children's pictures that survived from the Terezin ghetto that are on display at the Jewish Museum, a very moving and humbling experience. Famous landmarks not to be missed are the medieval astronomical clock, Prague Castle (the largest ancient castle in the world!) the Charles Bridge and an exquisite concert hall called the Mirror Chapel where you can listen to a classical concert - a version of Mozart's greatest hits but lovely nonetheless - all make for a memorable visit. But then you must not forget the food and drink - in particular, of course, Czech pilsner which we found somewhat addictive! To go with tasty plates of Prague ham, goulasch or schnitzel. Try the Beer Cheese too. At times you think there are more tourists than locals in the city given the number of group tours but it didn't feel overcrowded and we deliberately held back on seeing everything as it gives us an excuse (should one be needed) to return! The weather was damp and grey as you can see from the pictures but it did nothing to diminish the beauty of this city.