We spent 24 hours in Vienna, soaking up the culture, the history, the food and the atmosphere. Not nearly enough time, but with such a photogenic city, it wasn’t difficult to take a few choice snaps. We wrapped up against the elements and found plenty of gorgeous cafes in which to seek refuge. Schnitzel, apfelstrudel, cafe … More Photo essay: snowy Vienna
Introduction: Time of year: January 2017 – minus five degrees during the day, with snow on the ground. Purpose of trip: Nigel had decided to partake in some ‘health tourism’ in Slovakia as he needed some heavy duty dental treatment. We thought that we’d make a break out of it, as there needed to be … More Review: Danubius Health Spa Resort – Esplanade, Piestany, Slovakia
Introduction: Time of year: Early December, 2016 Purpose of trip: Nigel had two days of business meetings in London; Jane had a couple of free days and a chance to meet up with some friends….so we decided to book an overnight stay in one of our favourite corners of London–and tie it in with a … More Review: De Vere Venues, Devonport House, Greenwich, London, UK.
OK….what links Mozart, Schubert, Strauss…and Midge Ure? Answer: our next destination. Midge, as part of Ultravox, memorably sang about this beautiful city. The other three, along with Beethoven, lived there. Its rich, classical music heritage is, we’ve heard, just a part of what’s earned Vienna the unofficial title of Europe’s cultural capital. Add to that … More Midge and Mozart: musical notes for our wintry mini-break.
Aberdovey in West Wales is one of Jane’s favourite places on the planet. I knew this before we got together, as she had written about it many times in her personal blog. I really admire her writing and it was pieces like Postcard to the Seaside that got me hooked. Read it and you get … More Tiptoeing along the see-saw
Introduction: This was a three day, seaside break in a part of Wales that I know very well, but which was new to Nigel. Time of year: Late June, 2016. Purpose of trip: To relax, walk along the long, sandy beach, hike in the hills above the town, and find some good places to eat. … More Review: The Lookout, Aberdovey, Wales
Introduction: Time of year: April 2016 Purpose of trip: Jane travelled to Leeds to see her youngest daughter who’s studying there. Why she chose this place: The 4 Star Queen’s Hotel is right next to Leeds railway station. I’d visited Leeds many times for work, but hadn’t been able to afford a room here before. … More Review: The Queen’s Hotel, Leeds, UK
Introduction Time of year: February 2016 Purpose of trip: We were in Dublin for the Ireland-Wales 6 Nations rugby match, but wanted to arrive in time to relax a little before landing in the city for the match build-up. OK, and Guinness. Why we chose this place: We flew into Dublin from London Gatwick, … More Review: The King Sitric,Howth, Ireland
Introduction Time of year: We arrived mid afternoon on March 31st, 2016. Purpose of trip: We wanted to combine relaxation with hill-walking and sampling some great, locally-produced food. Why we chose this place: We chose The Oak Tree Inn because neither of us had visited Loch Lomond before, but had heard it was a beautiful … More Review: The Oak Tree Inn, Balmaha, Loch Lomond, Scotland
It was neither the high road, nor the low road but a winding one that cab driver Graham took us along to those famous bonny bonny banks of Loch Lomond. And an hour or so’s stretch from the bustle of Glasgow Central Station, too. But it didn’t seem long before this Scottish city’s suburbs gave … More Loch Lomond: a Spring in our step
2emptynesters 