Kefalonia, Greece (Part one)

 After a couple of weeks sightseeing in London our family was off to Kefalonia to enjoy sun, relaxation and some family bonding.  Since the two halves of our family live on opposite sides of the world time spent together is precious and it was a good opportunity for my four grandchildren to get to know each other well. I chose Kefalonia for two reasons, firstly you can get direct flights to the island from Gatwick and, secondly, it is not as over run with tourists as some of the other islands.

We had an interesting start to the holiday when our flight's take off was delayed for four hours with everyone already boarded.  The delay was due to the aircraft missing it's allotted slot for take off but I have to say that Easy Jet went out of their way to make the long wait as pleasant as possible, including handing out free snacks and drinks and inviting passengers to view the flight deck, a rare treat these days.

The delay meant that instead of arriving late afternoon we arrived at our accommodation in the dark and quite late.  The trip from the airport through the small town of Lassi was exciting, though, as all the restaurants and shops were lit up and buzzing, we were looking forward to exploring them.

Our first view of Oskars

Our accommodation was at Oskars, a small family run hotel about two kilometres down the hill from Lassi.  The owners were aware of our delayed flights and were ready to greet us with refreshing lemon drinks and a chef ready to cook us a meal.  By the time we had eaten it was mid night and the children, well to be honest all of us, were exhausted so off to bed feeling excited for the week ahead.

The view from my room in the morning

It is always a bit of a thrill to wake up the next morning after arriving in the dark.  For the first time you can get to see your view and your surroundings and we were very happy with what we saw.  My room was on the third floor of a small hotel block with spectacular views out over the sea, my sons and their families had large, adjoining apartments with a shady outdoor terrace at ground level and, of course the children couldn't wait to get into the swimming pool. 

Our first view of Argostoli on our walk to the supermarket
You can see the world's longest stone bridge 

But first things first, we needed supplies, our accommodation had kitchen facilities and we needed to buy food.  The largest town on the island is Argostoli and our guide book said it was an easy walk up over the hill behind the hotel. Um, yes, maybe easy if it wasn't so steep and the sun wasn't so hot! Anyway several of us adults set off while one stayed behind to mind the children. Despite the heat we enjoyed the walk, taking in the views, the scent of the trees and flowers, the sound of the birds etc and finally found the supermarket we were looking for.  Piled high with supplies we took a taxi back to Oskars happy to be organised and looking forward to relaxing and enjoying our holiday.

My favourite way to travel

As an enthusiastic lifelong traveler I have travelled in many different ways; by air, by sea, through the Canterbury skies in a glider, piloted by my brother, in a hot air balloon over the spectacular Turkish landscape of Cappadocia and in numerous cable cars but my favourite way to travel has always been by train.

 Flying I find a bit of an ordeal, it is simply a means to an end and is the fastest way of getting where I want to go. It’s no joy to be cramped in a steel tube for endless hours, however until someone can come up with something better it is still the quickest and most efficient way to cross the world.

You can get some fantastic views from a plane like this one of
New Zealand's Southern Alps but I still think the best thing about flying is arriving and getting off.

Travelling by sea is fun although it is more about the actual cruising and life on board ship than the reaching of destinations. It is a holiday in itself and ports of call along the way are usually only brief stops. Although I love the sea, and am always happy to spend time gazing at it, that is generally all you see from a ship. Having said that, ferries, such as New Zealand’s Inter Islander or the Waiheke Island ferry, can be extremely scenic and I enjoy them too.

You get to see some amazing sunrises and sunsets at sea

Gliding, ballooning and cable cars are not really ways to travel, more like exciting activities.  They are great, though and I am very pleased to have experienced them

Left: On the Cable Car near Cairns, Australia

But trains, I love them, not in a crazy train spotter kind of way, simply because they are a great way to travel. I have travelled around several countries in Europe and all over Great Britain and Japan on trains and never tire of them. Just buy a ticket, enjoy the space and comfort, maybe walk around, buy some snacks, a coffee or a glass of wine and use the bathrooms but best of all get to enjoy the passing scenery. You really do get to see a country from a train. I have so many great memories of sights I’ve seen from trains, like Mt Fuji in Japan, quaint villages in England, the magnificent Swiss Alps and the romantic Italian Lakes not to mention amazing scenery in both New Zealand and Australia.

Mt Fuji from Japan's Shinkansen train

When my late husband and I were in Switzerland we took the Golden Pass Train right up into the Swiss Alps, an all day trip which took us from Berne to Montreux and back. It was absolutely spectacular and we felt we got to see a lot; cows with bells on, villages and farm houses, steep snow clad mountains and lush alpine meadows, a sublime close up look at the country. A happy memory of that trip is my husband fizzing with delight, he’d always wanted to go to Switzerland. On that same tour of Europe we caught trains everywhere, across Italy, across France, it was so easy.

Swiss village from the Golden Pass train

I enjoyed the trip from Dunedin to Middlemarch on the Taieri Gorge Train, a trip through tranquil and isolated parts of Otago, New Zealand and the wonderful Kuranda Scenic Railway in Queensland, albeit I found the return trip by cable car over crocodile infested rivers rather nerve wracking!

The Taieri Gorge train crossing a viaduct in Otago, New Zealand

I achieved a long held dream in 2015 to travel on Australia’s Ghan train which goes from Darwin right through the centre of Australia to Adelaide. It certainly was a dream worth waiting for, I loved every minute. The four day trip travels through the outback which is vast and pretty featureless, nevertheless with its own magic. The thing about the Ghan is the high quality of the food and wine provided inclusive in your fare, the fascinating destinations you visit and the social life you enjoy in the train’s lounge. Lying in a comfortable bed and looking out at a sky crammed full of glittering stars and watching brilliant sunrises and sunsets over the dessert are joys beyond compare.

 ( I wrote a series of blogs about the Ghan trip in June 2015.  

Type The Ghan into the search box to find them)

The Ghan - a dream worth waiting for

In China in 2018 I travelled on the world’s fastest train. 

It reaches speeds of 431 kms 

per hour and can cover 30 ks in 

7 minutes 20 seconds It was a thrilling if short experience.

Right:  The world's fastest train as at 2018

Every chance I get I like to travel by train. Recently I took the Trans Alpine in the South Island of New Zealand from Christchurch to Greymouth and back. It was everything I hoped it would be, firstly travelling across the Canterbury plains and then through the magnificent snow clad Southern Alps and finally through bush and over rivers. On the return journey the mountains were bathed in a pink glow from the setting sun, I felt so grateful to live in such a beautiful country.

New Zealand's Southern Alps from the Trans Alpine train

Early in 2024 I am booked to travel by train from Perth to Sydney, meaning I will have travelled from the top to the bottom and the West to the East of Australia. I am so looking forward to it. There are plenty of other train trips I hope to do before I die, although I don’t think my finances will stretch to the Orient Express, but that doesn’t matter I am content to know I can enjoy many train trips in the years to come. In my mind anyway it is the best, and my favourite way to travel.

On a Budget? - Get a Birdseye view of London for free from the Sky Garden

The Walkie Talkie Building

When you're traveling your money doesn't seem to go as far as you think it will,  things cost more than you expected, you eat out more than usual and the admission prices to attractions can, at times, seem prohibitive.  Many people have a tight budget but want to squeeze in as much as they possibly can from it.  That's why I highly recommend getting tickets to London's Sky Garden.  Located on the 35th to 37th floors at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street popularly known as the Walkie Talkie building the observation lounge and deck offer wonderful views over London,  and the best thing is it is free. Admission is by ticket but there is no charge for them.

For anyone on a tight budget this is a great opportunity to see London from above.  

Tropical garden

It is important to book ahead, Sky Garden releases free tickets each Monday and suggests you book 3 weeks in advance. Your ticket allows you 1 hour in the Garden.  It is possible to get a walk up ticket but you are taking a chance that you won't be admitted if bookings are full. In comparison London Eye currently costs 25.50 pounds per person for advance tickets or 33 pounds on the day and The Shard costs 28 pounds per person or 37 pounds on the day.  I have been on both the London Eye and up The Shard and, yes, the views are wonderful with The Shard's being twice as high and the most spectacular  nevertheless  the views from the Sky Garden are also excellent.

HINT: Make sure you get to the entry in good time. Your bag will go through airport style scanning which can mean there is a queue although we had no problem. 

My son, daughter in law, two grandchildren and I went up to the Sky Garden on our recent trip to London.  We loved the views, soaking them in in all directions. My grandchildren were in awe and we were able to point out various landmarks to them. 

Tower Bridge and just to the left The Tower of London

St Paul's Cathedral left of centre. Photos were taken on a zoom lens.

                      

Grandson and son with The Shard behind

We found a corner table inside where we sat to eat our lunch and sip on wine while viewing this magnificent city.  The Sky Garden management didn't seem to mind that we took our own lunch, but drinks must be bought there. For those feeling a bit flush or just wanting a longer more leisurely experience there are two bars and two restaurants on the 36th level. If you make a booking for a restaurant you have automatic access to the Sky Garden. After lunch we made our way up stairs to the highest level passing through lush tropical gardens on the way - hence the name Sky Garden, (don't expect flower beds). At the highest level you get views in a different direction and then make your way down stairs on the other side.  It is a very efficient way to move people - up one way and down the other.

Photo shows the observation lounge and outdoor terrace
 Photo by The City of London

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Sky Garden and I am sure you will too. It's such a worthwhile experience for no cost, very budget friendly.  

Sky Garden is located near the Monument tube station.  

Tickets can be booked @ Skygarden.london

Wombling Around Wimbledon

If you are a child of the 1970s you will, no doubt, have watched the TV show The Wombles of Wimbledon. I well remember it as my children were avid watchers when they were young.  Despite many trips to stay with my son in London I had never visited Wimbledon so decided that since I had a free day I would go and explore it. All the way there on the train from Strawberry Hill the theme from the TV show was running through my brain, oh dear. 

The train arrived at the lower part of Wimbledon, a modern business centre, but my aim was to get to Wimbledon Village and the famous common so I walked for a pleasant 20 minutes up the steep hill.  You can take a bus but I preferred to walk.  The village is lovely with plenty of independent shops and cafes and since the world famous Wimbledon Tennis Championships had completed only a few days previously most were decorated with a tennis theme. I enjoyed strolling both sides of the street admiring the inventiveness of the displays, here are just a few.

Interestingly, Wimbledon is the only place I have ever seen that has special lights on crossings for horses and there were plenty of horses walking through the village giving it a delightfully rural feel.

I had a coffee and snack at a cafe on the High Street to fortify myself before heading to Wimbledon Common. Now this was a big surprise. At 1140 acres it is vast and beautiful.  It's real name  is actually  Wimbledon and Putney Commons but it is hard to know where one starts and the other ends. I have no idea why but for some reason I imagined the common as a big open park so to find that 495 acres of it is thick woodland, with walking paths winding through it, was wonderful,  just the sort of place I love. 

I found a seat overlooking a pond and spent a short while happily contemplating nature before setting off to continue my walk. There were very few people around however I had a chat with a passing man who told me about a windmill further into the common so I set off to find it.

I passed  through a wide open area of grassland, known as The Plain, and part of the common, on my way.

 

Unfortunately the windmill was not open for visitors so could only be viewed from the rear, still good to see nevertheless.  It was in this windmill that Baden Powell wrote his rules for the Boy Scouts in 1908.  Beside the windmill is the London Scottish Golf Club, a cafe and friendly horses graze nearby. There is also a conservation information centre where nature lovers can learn more about the common.

  I rested a while before making my way out to the road and catching the bus back to the village then walking back down the hill to catch the train home.  I highly recommend a visit to Wimbledon Common, especially if you love nature. 

It is the largest heathland in London and a haven for many different birds, insects and small mammals.  It is just a short trip from the heart of London too. I was really tired and happy at the end of the day, my fitbit said I had walked 17,568 steps, around 13kms, so it was high time for a rest.  Oh, and I never saw any wombles whose job in the TV series was to clean up the litter on the common but, pleasingly, I never saw any litter either.

RHS Garden Festival, Hampton Court - A garden lovers dream day out

 

One theme this year was to leave grasses to grow wild to encourage  insects and birds hence the dry grass decorations on the sign

I think pretty much every garden lover has heard of the Chelsea Flower Show but I wonder how many have  heard of the Royal Horticulture Garden Festival at Hampton Court in England.  Have you? No? Well nor had I until my son, who lives near by, told me he had bought tickets to attend it and that he goes every year and loves it. So, on a beautiful, sunny, Sunday morning we set off, my two sons, two grand daughters and I, to find out what it was all about.

The grounds of Hampton Court are vast and ideal for this garden show, which is said to be the world's largest, covering 25 acres or 10 hectares. There we could see everything to do with gardening and outdoor life - for a garden lover it is a dream, a happy place.  The focus of this garden festival is slightly different from the Chelsea Garden Show (also run by the Royal Horticulture Society) in that it focuses more on environmental issues, hence there are plenty of displays on recycling, compost making, keeping the waterways clean etc. 

The flower marquee was the most colossal marquee I had ever seen and was the first one we visited.   It was just heavenly to stroll the aisles admiring the spectacular array of plants and flowers on display, many I had never seen before. I was inspired by how the various exhibitors had combined different flowers and colours to make eye catching displays. I took plenty of photos but now that I'm home I wish I had taken more.  It took us a good hour to walk through this massive marquee enjoying every minute of it.

After refreshments, very British Pimms for the adults and hot chips for the girls,  we set out to wander the outdoor displays. We were spoilt for choice.  There were show gardens, model allotment plots, talks, demonstrations, outdoor furniture, summer houses, and craft and clothing stalls.  It was hard to believe that the model gardens were temporary, they were amazing, inventive and artistic. and I absolutely loved the summer houses. It has always been a dream of mine to have one but I have never had the space.  A girl can dream, though, can't she?

A display garden - hard to believe everything in this photo is temporary.

An example of an allotment and bee friendly wild flower garden

My grand daughters enjoying a rest on an unusual garden seat

A dream summer house on display

It is impossible to take in all the Garden Festival in just one day but we did our best. Even after several hours of walking there were large parts we didn't cover but we were well pleased with what we did see and I think we all went home truly inspired.  I highly recommend this wonderful festival to all gardeners and garden lovers. You won't be disappointed.

Watch their website for information about upcoming festivals :

www.rhs.org.uk

The Ancient Ceremony of the Keys - Tower of London, England

 I love strolling the London waterfront at night, everything is bright and sparkly and the glittery reflections in the Thames are sublime. It is well worth a trip into central London purely to see how pretty and different the city looks by night and to, maybe, enjoy a drink at a riverside bar while watching the passing boats. But lovely and all as the night views are, my son, two daughters in law and I were excited to be at the Tower of London to witness the Ceremony of the Keys.  

 

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This is not some sort of  'tourism' performance, this is a serious ceremony to ensure the security of the tower which holds many precious artifacts including the priceless crown jewels. It has taken place every night for around 700 years, never missing a night and  being late on only one occasion which was during the London Blitz when two warders were blown off their feet but nevertheless got up and proceeded with the ceremony.

The Tower of London

Photo: TurnipNet

We were amongst a group of 40-50 visitors admitted to the tower at 9.30pm precisely and were escorted to stand silently beside Water Lane leading up from the entry gate.    The Chief Yeoman Warder, dressed in a bright red Tudor uniform, gave us a talk on the history of the ceremony and what we could expect to see.  He was very entertaining and amusing nevertheless giving serious instructions we were required to follow, it is a serious ceremony after all. He than made his way down to the Byward Tower and emerged at exactly 7 minutes to 10 carrying a lantern lit by a single candle in one hand, and the kings keys in the other hand. He marched to the archway of the Bloody Tower where an escort was waiting. He handed his lantern to the bugler and he and the escort marched down to the tower gates, the keys being saluted by all guards and sentries on duty as they passed. Watched by the escort the Chief Yeoman Warder locked both the inner and outer gates and then, with the escort, returned back up along Water Lane to the Wakefield Tower. At this point a sentry appeared out of the darkness to challenge him with:

"Halt, who goes there"  The Yeoman Warder replied: "The Keys"  The sentry then asked "Whose keys?" the Yeoman Warder replied "King Charles' keys" the sentry then replied, "Pass then, all is well"

They then marched back under the Bloody Tower into the inner courtyard where members of the Tower Guard were waiting. We were summoned to follow. At this point the Chief Yeoman Warder raised his Tudor bonnet high into the air proclaiming  "God preserve King Charles".  The guard replied "Amen" exactly as the clock struck 10pm and then the bugler played the Last Post.  The Chief Yeoman Warder took the keys back to the kings representative at the tower for overnight safe keeping and the guard was dismissed. At this point visitors were escorted from the tower at 10.05pm.

I found this to be a spine tingling experience, a real step back in time and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Standing in the dark of Water Lane and witnessing a ceremony pretty much unchanged for 700 years was eerie and unforgettable. Photography and videoing is not permitted which makes the ceremony all the more special.  There is no clicking and jostling and everyone stands in respectful silence absorbed in what is happening before them. Silently observing my surroundings before the ceremony started and pondering the fate of some who were imprisoned within the tower was sobering. I thought especially of the princes in the tower, King Edward V and his younger brother, Richard, Duke of York, who were imprisoned by their uncle at the ages of 12 and 9 and were never seen again.  Their uncle wanted to be rid of them so he could claim the throne and did so becoming Richard III. I imagined the little princes peering out on to Water Lane where we were standing and I prayed that terrible deeds, such as their suspected murder, wouldn't happen again. As an aside, when I was at high school the school held an evening where famous paintings were presented by the students as tableau.  I was one of the princes in the tower as portrayed in the famous painting by Millais. This led me to be interested in their history so standing opposite the tower in silence thinking of them was a moving experience.

Tickets are issued to only between 40 and 50 people per night and are hard to come by.  You must book weeks in advance which, thanks to my London based son he had done. No late comers are admitted.  If you are visiting London, really want to feel a part of British history and to experience a unique ceremony I highly recommend this.  I have visited London many times and had never experienced this before but am very glad I did.  The ceremony lasts just a few minutes and visitors are only within the tower for half an hour but it is so well worth while.

For tickets go to : www.hrp.org.uk 

They go on sale on the first of the month for the following month but sell out very quickly.  They are a nominal 5 pounds.

The Exquisite Hokitika Gorge, South Island, New Zealand

 Very early on a Sunday morning I drove the 33 kilometres from Hokitika, on the west coast of the South Island, to the tiny settlement of Kokotahi and then on to the sublime Hokitika Gorge.  This wasn't the first time I had visited the gorge and I hope it won't be my last since it is one of my favourite places in New Zealand. There wasn't a soul around so I had the whole gorge to myself. It was absolute bliss.

          

I entered the track from the car park and was immediately
immersed in lush native bush, ferns,  rimu and podocarps. What joy to breathe in the fresh, ferny, earthy air. A few minutes walk along an easy, and wheel chair accessible, path I came to the  first viewing platform which offers spectacular views of the famous turquoise water flowing through the gorge.  This beautiful, unusual colour is the result of glaciers in the nearby mountain range grinding rocks to a fine powder which when combined with the water gives it a milky effect. On every occasion I have visited the gorge the water has been this sublime colour but be aware that in some weather conditions it is not so vibrantly turquoise.

The superbly maintained 2 kilometre long track winds along the sides of the river between granite walls and heavenly native bush.  As this is New Zealand there is no dangerous wild life to fear. There are plenty of places to stop and admire the view and two swing bridges to cross the river....fun if you are not nervous about the swaying and the height of the second one! Fortunately I'm not and as I was alone on the track I could spend plenty of time on the bridges suspended over the water, absorbing the view.

The walk could be done in half an hour if walked steadily, but why not pause and enjoy?  Recommendation is to take at least 45 minutes.  I spent an hour and a half there because I love the place and didn't want to leave. 

I believe the track can be crowded and busy during peak tourist season but by getting up very early I had it all to myself and saw only another couple of people arrive as I was leaving. Magic!

NOTE: Sand flies can be prolific here so take your bug spray

There are toilets in the car park

There is no charge to enter the gorge and walk the track

Do it!  It is stunning and you will be blown away