One day in Mao (Mahon), - Capital of Menorca

Tempting though it was to spend every day lazing around the pool we also wanted to explore this lovely island so it was "all aboard" the bus to Mao, or Mahon as it is also known. The bus trip from Port D'Addaia is long and circuitous but an ideal, cheap and comfortable way to see different parts of the island.

A working farm right in the middle of town

As our bus pulled into the centre of town we were astonished to see a fully working farm, complete with hay bales, tractors, donkeys and barns  surrounded by office buildings. No doubt the farm has been in a family for decades, if not hundreds of years and they're not moving for anyone!  We were off for a stroll down the hill towards the harbour on the attractive, pedestrianised main street. We stopped here and there to drool at pastry shop windows or to try on the very comfortable, local avarca sandals, worn by everyone, man, woman and child, on the island, it seems. Our happy small fry enjoyed the occasional ice cream stop, some of the adults did too, just quietly!

Main street of Mao

Avarca sandals used as planters

Strategically important in the Mediterranean, Mao has been fought over, and occupied at various times, by the English, French and Spanish who have each left their mark on the architecture making it a pretty town with attractive buildings. While under British rule, in the 18th century, Mao became  the administrative capital of Menorca and with a population of just 30,000  it is big enough to be interesting and small enough to be pleasant.

The historic centre of Mao

The town Hall

Nearing the boat harbour the town opens out at a square housing two churches, the town hall and the fish market, the historic centre of Mao. High cliffs dotted with mysterious caves tower over the broad, elegant staircase leading down to the water where we were heading to take a cruise on what is the largest natural harbour in the Mediterranean. It is sheltered and scenic and we enjoyed the passing scenery of  attractive villas lining the slopes, mussel farms in sheltering bays and the English arsenal, with its bright red paint contrasted against the greenery.

A view over the inner harbour

Picturesque ancient, rustic cottages nestle amongst the shrubbery and I spotted a house I'd love to live in built right out into the water accessed by its own causeway. We passed through the short St Jordi canal to the colossal 18th century La Mola fortress and also Lazareto quarantine island, built in the days when contagious diseases from sailors and travelers were rife. Our boat stopped at a sheltered bay for underwater fish viewing from the boat's glass bottomed chambers, pretty underwhelming, actually, but the lush sea plants were worth viewing. The cruise back passed a traditional Spanish windmill high on the sky line and the very pretty 18th century garrison town of Es Castell. I strongly recommend this cruise on Yellow Catamarans, it is an hour long and at 12 euro per adult and 6 euro per child, very good value.

I'd love to live in this house

Part of the La Mola Fortress

Traditional windmill - no one was tilting at it!

Charming little bay of Es Castell

Back ashore we headed to the Xoriguer gin factory, about 5 minutes walk along the waterfront.  All I can say is, what fun!  So many different flavours of gin and tastings are free.  Purely in the interest of research, well that's my excuse, we thought it important to try as many as we could but pretty quickly realised it was best to have just a teaspoon of each or we would have soon  been out on our ears.

Gin tasting heaven

We all enjoyed the Pomada which is lemon flavoured and usually drunk as a long summer drink.  We were having so much fun we suddenly realised we were in danger of missing the last bus of the day for Port D'Addaia. This necessitated a long sprint all the way up the sloping main street to the bus depot.  Thankfully we made it, hot sweaty and tired, and settled back into our seats to enjoy a much shorter route home followed by a cooling swim back at our villa. We had enjoyed our day in Mao but knew we would go back....there was more to see.

Menorca, Spain - A perfect family holiday in the sun

I'm used to planning  my own travel so  it was a real treat to have someone else decide on the destination for a change. My son and daughter-in-law had booked a family holiday to Menorca and invited lucky me to join them while I was visiting them in the UK.  I had never even heard of Menorca let alone been there so it was a real thrill to go on an unexpected holiday to somewhere new.

The marina at Port D'Addaia, Menorca

Menorca  is the smallest and most eastern of Spain's Balearic Islands.  It is also the quietest and most natural, making it a perfect family destination. Popular activities on the island are aquatic sports, hiking, horse riding or just chilling out and if archaeology is your thing there are more than1500 archaeological sites on the island dating from the Talayotic era. Then, of course, there is the crystal clear water lapping golden beaches, bars for sampling sangria and tapas and quaint small towns and villages to stroll around and soak up a bit of Catalan atmosphere. My diary says 'First impressions of the island - green, largely rural, traditional white, tiled farmhouses, stone walls, donkeys and hay bales, lovely."

Our villa at Port D'Addaia

As a family of five, including two young children, renting a villa seemed to be the best option for us.  Ours was in the  village of Port D'Addaia on the northern side of the island, and it was perfect. Set in a quiet, leafy street of stand alone houses  Villa Sonja has a private garden and a lovely swimming pool. Within minutes of arriving my grandson was happily splashing around in the  pool and as far as he was concerned the pool was the very best thing about this holiday.

Endless hours of fun in the pool

As for the adults, relaxation was immediate. There was wine to sample, paella to eat, books to read....bliss.  My daughter in law is a wonder at discovering all sorts of local delicacies and made sure we got to sample the local meats, cheeses, wines etc.  It was fun ticking them off her list. Port D'Addaia is a sleepy place consisting of a couple of restaurants, a gift shop, a small supermarket and a bar,  and I  loved it.  My days started with a cup of coffee on the balcony looking out on a rustic farmyard, the only sounds, bird calls and a gentle murmur  in the fragrant pines bordering the property.  Then it was off up to the village to buy the  huge, fluffy, sweet rolls called ensaimadas, the traditional Menorcan breakfast.  I enjoyed queuing up with the locals in the village shop waiting for these sugar dusted delights to come out of the oven and  saying good morning,"Bon dia"in the local dialect, to the shop assistant.

My grand daughter enjoying her huge breakfast ensaimada, hot from the oven

Some days we went sight seeing around the island, some days we stayed around the villa and relaxed or took a stroll down the hill to the marina past beautiful white washed villas, their gardens resplendent with pink and red oleander and bougainvillea tumbling over walls. 

Port D'Addaia gardens were a vibrant display of oleander and bougainvillea

One afternoon we sat at the small open air bar at the marina, sipping beer and sharing tall tales, another afternoon in the large friendly bar in the village, it was just delightful. Since our villa had no internet connection it was a wonderful excuse to head to the village bar for a cold drink and a chance to use their wifi - purely for research purposes, you understand.  So there you have it, a brief introduction to Menorca.  There is more to come.....

Delicious, authentic paella

Long, lazy lunches at our villa

Photography and the Solo Traveller

Most of my travel photos don't include me.  That's probably not a bad thing but I have found that unless a photo is really good scenery can look a bit dull without human interest in it. Also, it's always fun to show that you were actually there when you are bragging back home. I try, when I can, to include people in my shots but preferably not me.    Nevertheless, in order to prove my adventures, I make sure there are a few shots of me included somewhere amongst my stacks of photos. In the beginning I took selfies with an extended arm.  Oh dear!  Every wrinkle looked ten times worse, or maybe there  really is truth in the saying "The camera never lies"!
As a solo traveler getting selfies can be tricky, especially if, like me, you are not a fan of selfie sticks.  From trial and error I have come up with a few tips which work for me.  Feel free to add some of your own in the comments section, I'm always keen to hear handy tips.

Puhoi River New Zealand I took this photo with my arm extended on a kayaking trip.  Yep, too many wrinkles! 

 

Ask strangers 

This is my favourite tip.  I often ask strangers to take my photo and I have found that far from being irritated they are flattered. I know there have been reports of people stealing cameras once they get hold of them so it is a case of following your instincts when you ask.  I usually look for a happy family group or an older couple but having said that I have found any age group happy to oblige and have never had my camera stolen....so far. As a part time tour guide in Auckland I am often asked to take tourists' photos.  It is a pleasure to oblige.

Den Gamle By, Denmark.  This photo was taken by a kindly stranger

Use the timer

 

This is my second favourite way to include myself in a photo. Most cameras have a timer option nowadays so this is easy to do after a bit of practice. Just find a ledge or stable spot to place your camera, carefully work out the shot you want, set the timer and get into position Voila!

I used a timer to take this shot at Katherine Gorge, Northern Territory, Australia.  
 

Employ reflective surfaces

 

Mirrors, sculptures, water - anything with a reflective surface can be used to put yourself in the shot

Lisbon, Portugal. This was an early, and less than successful, attempt to use a reflective surface, partly because the surface was mirror tiled and not very clean.  Lesson learned - examine the surface first.

 Ask Fellow Travelers to oblige

 

This is never a problem.  I have done a lot of traveling alone but have also traveled as a solo in a group.  If you offer to take someone's photo they will always take yours in return.

This photo was taken by a fellow traveler on a tour of Turkey .  I like this photo because although I am there it is the setting that counts

 Include only part of your body in the shot

Set the scene and the feeling you want to portray  by including just part of your body in the photo, as I have done in this photo taken on a recent cruise.

Ahhh, bliss, relaxing and reading on a cruise ship with only my feet in frame - setting the scene

Have fun experimenting.  Solo travel is fun and there is no need to miss out on a few precious photos with yourself in them.  And please feel free to pass on any clever tips you may have

I went up to London to visit the Queen

Well, not the Queen exactly but her house, Buckingham Palace. The palace is open to the public for only a few weeks of summer each year while the Queen is away and my daughter-in-law and I had tickets to visit, thanks to my generous son.  I was pretty excited to be setting foot inside this famous residence, something I never thought I would do. I have watched, with nose pressed against the iron railings and thousands of other tourists, the changing of the guard on a couple of occasions so it felt rather bizarre to be walking right in through the palace doors. Tickets are sold on a timed entry basis which controls the crowds and makes for a more pleasant experience.  We arrived early so killed a bit of time looking through the palace gift shop crammed with fine china and the ubiquitous boxes of chocolates, packets of biscuits, tea and assorted souvenirs.  Then through airport style security and armed with a multi media device, in to the palace. The tour covers 19 state rooms, these are the rooms  used extensively by the Queen and royal family for official occasions and to meet and entertain both subjects and dignitaries. Used as the official Royal residence only since 1837, Buckingham Palace was originally a much smaller house which was demolished then a new house was built which has been added to over many years. Much of the furniture, art and glittering chandeliers were bought by George IV to furnish his home when he was Prince of Wales.

The Queen's stunning coronation gown, patterned with  motifs from UK
 and Commonwealth countries.  Note the tiny waist.

This year, to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday, there is a display of her clothing  from childhood  including her wedding gown, her coronation gown, both utterly stunning, and then on through many ball gowns and street wear worn for formal occasions and visits.  I was intrigued at how tiny her waist was as a young woman. Each garment was accompanied by a large photo of the Queen wearing it. Also on display were dozens of her hats. It was a fantastic display of fashion and style through the decades, showcasing top British fashion designers and all worn by one person.


The tour of the Palace was extensive and wonderful.  Things that stood out for me were:

The White Drawing Room. The large mirror to the left is hinged to conceal a door which allows the Queen discreet access to the room

• The sweeping staircase leading up from the front entry designed with deliberately shallow steps to make it look longer and grander
• The throne room, familiar from formal and wedding portraits of the royal family
• The White Drawing Room which is absolutely magnificent and is where the Queen meets visiting heads of state.  It is familiar from television shots. 
• The Art Gallery bursting with paintings by Rembrandt, Van Dyke, Canaletto, Reynolds, Rubens and many others
• The sculpture gallery including works by Canova
• The glorious chandeliers, incredibly ornate ceilings and rare, fine china by Sevres
• The feeling that this is a palace with life in it.  I have been to many stately homes and there is usually a  lifeless, museum quality to them.  Buckingham Palace was different, it felt lived in but nevertheless fresh and immaculate.



The Throne Room - where Royal wedding photos are taken

I absolutely loved this tour.  The personal commentary was perfect and every time I felt I had seen all the wonderful rooms there were to see, there was another one.  I was fizzing about it for days afterwards. Photography inside the palace is not permitted , the photos here are copyright free via the internet.  You can take your own virtual tour if you go to You Tube and key in this address:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8KBgW8c_Mk

Outside the palace we had the opportunity to admire the beautiful and extensive park like grounds, complete with lake and I think if I lived in the palace that is where I would spend most of my time, so quiet, so peaceful and right in the heart of London. Photography is permitted in the grounds so the following photos are my own.

Do take this tour if you are in London in August or September, you won't be disappointed.  It was certainly a highlight of my trip to London.

The rear of the palace, overlooking the grounds

Left: Part of the gardens and lake




Right: That's me at the rear of the palace

Cute little ice cream shop in the Palace grounds

The Hive - Kew Gardens' stunning new attraction

There is never really any need for an excuse to visit Kew Gardens, London, or to give it it's correct title The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.  Every season brings a new delight and a new perspective to this incredible showcase for the world's plants. A Unesco World Heritage site, Kew is home to 30,000 different living plants and 7 million preserved specimens of different kinds of plants.  It is a botanist's dream but more than that it is simply a beautiful serene, verdant park to stroll and picnic and enjoy being at one with nature.

Flower beds form only a small part of Kew gardens

I have visited Kew many times, as it is conveniently close to my son's home, and always find something new to enjoy.  On my last visit I had relished the climb up to be among the trees on the treetop walkway.  This time I was completely entranced by The Hive.

The Hive is a sculpture by Wolfgang Buttress, built as the centrepiece of the UK pavilion at the Milan Expo in 2015. It has been reassembled at Kew where it will remain for just 18 months so I suggest you get along  to see it smartly.  It is incredible.

Like bees buzzing around a hive

17 metres high, suspended above the ground and made up of 170,000 pieces of aluminium , the inspiration behind the sculpture is the role and plight of honeybees which, although they play an essential role in pollinating most of our food crops, are becoming increasingly endangered. From a distance the sculpture looks like swarming honey bees but as you get closer it takes on the appearance of a hive. As you walk towards The Hive you pass through a one acre flower garden planted with all types of wild flowers particularly attractive to bees, their buzzing helps set the scene for your experience of The Hive.

The path takes you right inside The Hive which is connected to accelerometers, or vibration sensors within a real beehive elsewhere in Kew Gardens. These pick up the activity of the bees and are then transmitted to The Hive where they are converted to lighting and sound effects as a representation of the activity in a bee colony. 

Inside The Hive

 The haunting and atmospheric sound track, the work of the band Spritualized, is a combination of recordings of a 40,000 strong bee colony plus instruments and the human voice while 1000 LED lights flicker and glow to show the movements of bees in and out of the real hive. 

Lights go on and off to reflect the movements of the bees in the real hive nearby

 Wolfgang Buttress said that "My approach to a sculpture seeks to frame nature so one can experience it more intimately" He has certainly achieved that goal.  I found the whole experience to be quite wonderful and completely mesmerising, worth visiting Kew Gardens for this alone.

The Orangery, a great spot for people watching.

But, do enjoy the whole of Kew Gardens, there is so much to see.  I rounded out a happy day with lunch at the Orangery and a quick browse in the excellent gift shop. I know I'll be back.

www.kew.org

Find big cities impersonal? Visit Radnor Gardens Cafe in London for that warm community feel.

Big cities can seem overwhelming to those of us who live in smaller, quieter places but I realised many years ago that they are in fact just a collection of villages joined together.  The first time this occurred to me was when I was in Tokyo staying at a multi storied youth hostel.  In the evenings I liked to wander up a side street and it didn't take long before I noticed that the locals knew each other, that eateries were crammed with family groups sharing conversations across tables and that shop keepers were gossiping with regulars, all in central Tokyo.  I loved it and since then no big city has been intimidating to me...I just break it down and get to know and enjoy each locality.  Of course central business districts are generally soulless places but get out into the residential areas and things change, even close to the city centre.

Have coffee while you watch your children play

The delightful Radnor Gardens Cafe at Strawberry Hill, Twickenham in London is a prime example of "community" in a big city. Owners, Mike and Marcus took the lease on a council owned cabin in the park back in March this year.  Their aim was to create a friendly cafe where locals could meet, have coffee, or a meal, and a chat and get to know each other. It is not a glitzy, chrome and glass type of place and that is part of its charm. In order to create a welcoming, homely, environment fresh flowers are placed on the tables each day and various games and a table tennis table are available to patrons. Warm shoulder wraps are also provided for cooler days. The cafe is adjacent to a safe fully fenced children's playground allowing harassed parents a sit down and a cup of coffee while still keeping an eye on their offspring. Mike and Marcus have obtained a license to serve wine and beer for a certain number of  days in summer so have run a series of barbecues on long summer evenings.  My son and his family live across the road and told me what a pleasure it was to meet with neighbours at one of these evenings and to have somebody else cook the food and pour the drinks! 

On my recent trip to England I enjoyed many a time at the cafe even a delicious bacon sandwich for breakfast on my last day. It was so pleasant sitting in the sun, chatting to locals passing by or stopping to have coffee. I had a long chat to Mike one day.  He told me that he has been delighted with the positive response from locals, that he thinks people really want an opportunity to connect and that he is pleased to be providing it. Many, many places have community cafes, my own suburb in Auckland, for example, where people meet neighbours and locals, but what I think makes Radnor Gardens Cafe special is its location, right inside the park, and the enthusiasm of the owners for fostering a sense of community in the area.   So far it  has been a resounding success, long may it continue, and I look forward to visiting again sometime in the future. Oh, and the coffee is pretty good, which is high praise from a New Zealander!

Anyone for table tennis?

Don't just go to Radnor Gardens for coffee, though.  Take a walk through the gardens, enjoy the lovely views of the Thames riverside, sit under a weeping willow and listen to the wind in it!

Disclaimer:  I do not know the proprietors and the opinions expressed here are simply my own observations.  

UPDATE: The cafe changed hands in 2019 and I have been advised by former regulars that it is no longer the community cafe it was. It is still in the same good location beside the playground, though.
 You are welcome to follow me on Facebook @ A Wandering Widow Solo Travel, I'd love to see you and your comments both here and there!

Easiest Ever Steamed Pudding - just the thing for a cold winter's night

I love the occasional steamed pudding in winter, it is real comfort food.   Unfortunately the long cooking time needed for a traditional steamed pudding, like mother used to make, doesn't fit well into the busy, modern world. Luckily I have a recipe for a quick and easy and delicious one. It is brilliant and a long time favourite of my family.  It uses simple ingredients found in every pantry and can even be put on to cook just as you are serving up the main course.

EASIEST EVER STEAMED PUDDING

Ingredients 

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons golden syrup 

3/4 (three quarters) of a cup of flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 egg

1/2 (half) cup of water

Put about 3 inches or 6cms of water on to boil, in a pot large enough to hold the pudding basin. Place the butter and golden syrup in the pudding basin and place the basin in the pot to melt the syrup. Into a bowl sift the flour and baking powder, then stir in the sugar.  Break the egg into the mixture and stir around a bit then add the cold water and beat to make a smooth batter.  Pour the batter straight into the melted syrup mix.  There is no need to cover the pudding, simply put the lid on the pot and simmer/steam for 20 minutes. The pudding rises and has a folded look while the syrup and butter flavours the whole pudding.  You can serve it with custard or cream but I never bother. Or you can experiment with different syrups. I think it is yummy just as it is.

I made one especially to photograph for this post, now I'm just going to have to eat it.  Oh goody! Nom, nom, nom....... :-)