When you start a holiday, you’re always eager to see as many sights as you can, but if you get too excited, you end up seeing them all, and if you’re holidaying over the course of a week or fortnight, you find yourself bored with a few days still to go. Fortunately, when visiting Cardiff, you won’t have that problem.

Visit Cardiff, Capital of Wales

Many people don’t have the time to go on a week-long break, but day and night breaks can be just as relaxing. You can take in plenty of sights, with time left to have a meal at one of the Welsh capital’s outstanding restaurants before retreating to one of those comfortable, welcoming Cardiff hotels for a great night’s sleep.

As you would expect from a capital city, Cardiff is jam packed with attractions. It has numerous parks, sporting and cultural venues, historical sites, top-class shops and eateries, all of which make the city a fantastic place to spend a weekend in.

Wales Millennium Centre

The Millenium Stadium, the home of the Welsh national rugby union team, is one of Europe’s largest purpose-built sporting venues. As well as hosting top-class sporting events, the stadium also hosts concerts for rock and pop groups, plus the amazing Welsh National Opera.

Cardiff plays host to Wales’ National Museum and Art Gallery, which puts on various exhibitions with relevance to both the local area and the wider world. Admission is free, so if you’re holidaying with children, this is an ideal place for the whole family to visit.

Shopping in St David's

Parks are plentiful in Cardiff, and if you’re looking for a peaceful weekend, then a stroll through Bute Park on the edge of the city centre, or Roath Park, which lies within its leafy suburbs could be the answer. Cardiff has more parkland per capita than any other major city in the UK, so you’re spoilt for choice.

Other attractions of note include St. David’s Hall, which is one of the country’s best concert halls, the magnificent Cardiff Castle and the inspiring St. David’s Cathedral. Shopping in Cardiff is a joy, particularly around precincts such as St. David’s, Royal Arcade and the Capitol Centre.

Cardiff Castle

Once you’ve taken in all the sights, then why not cap off your day by having a meal at one of the many top-class restaurants in the breathtakingly modern Cardiff Bay area. Eateries such as Signor Valentino’s, Bosphorus Turkish Restaurant and Miller and Carter Restaurant and Bar offer flavours from South Wales and beyond, and are guaranteed to re-energise you after taking in all the sights of this wonderful, underrated city.

Eating out in Cardiff

When you’ve finished your meal, then you’re able to retreat to a quality hotel such as the Ibis Hotel Cardiff Gate and sleep soundly in a freshly-made bed knowing that you’ve had the best day break imaginable, and if there’s anywhere you didn’t see, you can always come back for another trip.

Photo Credits: All photos by cardiffandco

More Things to see in Wales

Walking In Wales – 10 Easy And Inspirational Day Walks
Camping in sunshine and showers – on the Gower in Wales
A snowy break at Laswern Fawr holiday in the Brecon Beacons, Wales – video

My thanks for this sponsored post to Eurobookings.com, the European booking specialist

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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If you’re flying into Gothenburg you’ll probably land at Landvetter airport if you’re flying with Scandinavian Airlines or British Airways and at the City Airport if you’re flying with Ryanair. Neither airport is very far from the city centre and although you can easily get a taxi, the cheap and efficient way to get into the centre is with the Flygbussarna coach service.

Take the Flybussarna to Gothenburg airport

Flygbussarna service from Gothenburg Landvetter Airport

• 3 departures per hour every 20 minutes
• The journey takes 25-30 minutes
• The bus stops at Korsvagen (near Liseburg Amusement Park), Park Avenue (On the Avenue near the Museum of Art), Kungsportsplaten (by the canal and main tram stop), Nils Ericson terminalen (near the main train station)
• You can pick up a handy leaflet at the airport with a map of all the stops or check the Google maps on the Flybussarna website
• The costs is 80SEK (€9, $12, £7.50)  one way, 150SEK return (€17, $22, £14)
• You can book in advance or pay on the bus. I probably wouldn’t book the journey from the airport but I might book the return journey just in case the bus was full.
• The bus does not take cash but takes major credit cards
• More information on the Flybussarna website

For the Flygbussarna service from Gothenburg City Airport

Maritiman museum in Gothenburg

We flew to Gothenburg with SAS who have a couple of flights a day to Gothenburg from London Heathrow which is ideal if you’re planning a short break as we were. Of course getting to and from the airport is only a means to an end and if you want some ideas on what to enjoy in Gothenburg why not;

• Explore the Gothenburg Christmas markets and shop for unusual food and design gifts – we especially enjoyed the Haga market, but Liseburg is the biggest and most sparkling.
• Watch the Christmas Julfilm projected on the facade of the Gothenburg Museum of Art and if you’re lucky you might get to hear the singing Christmas tree choir in Bältesspännarparken (sadly we missed it due to the windy weather)
• Visit the Feskekörka (Fish Church ) where you can admire all the fresh fish and buy tasty deli dishes as well as trying the seafood in one of the two restaurants – we loved Restaurant Gabriel where the owner Johan Malm introduced us to the delights of West Swedish oysters.
• Try the fried herringwith mashed potato and lingonberry sauce – the classic Swedish combination at the Strömmingsluckan herring cart in Magasinskarten
• Enjoy a Fika break with a steaming mug of coffee and enormous cinnamon bun in one of the cosy coffee shops around town.
• Treat yourself to a gourmet blow-out at one of the five Michelin star restaurants in Gothenburg – we loved our meal at Basement where I interviewed the head chef Camilla Parkner.
• If you’re there at Christmas, enjoy an extended Christmas buffet or Julbord at one of the many restaurants and hotels, such as Elite Plaza where we stayed, that serve all the traditional Christmas dishes throughout December
• Warm yourself with a hot chocolate with chili at Cafe Kanold and stock up on Gothenburg truffles topped with sea salt at their shop nearby on Viktoriapassagen
• In summer visit the Maritiman Maritime Museum in the port area and wander around the courtyard of the Kronhuset nearby – an old artillery store that’s one of the oldest buildings in Gothenburg
• Pop into the Gothenburg City Museum or Stadsmuseum to learn all about Viking history and see the remains of an old Viking longboat – the museum shop has some pretty gifts too.

More Visitor Information for Gothenburg or Göteborg

• The local tourism site Göteborg.com is full of information on the best things to see and do
• For information on West Sweden visit the West Sweden Tourism site or follow them on Twitter @WestSwedenTB or on their Facebook page and you will find their blog at ExploreWestSweden.com
• Another useful site for all things Gothenburg is I Love Göteborg
• If you plan to do a lot of sightseeing it’s worth getting the Gothenburg City Card which will allow you entrance to all the major attractions as well as public transport. Look out for the deals that some hotels offer that include a Gothenburg Card with the hotel booking.
• We stayed at the classic 5 star hotel, Elite Plaza Hotel which is in the Inom Vallgraven district and walking distance from most of the sightes of Gothenburg.
• We took flights to Gothenburg from London Heathrow with Scandinavian Airlines who have 2 flights a day to Gothenburg’s Landvetter airport, a 30 minute taxi or bus ride from the city.
• If you’d like to use a guidebook during your visit to Gothenburg I’d recommend the conveniently sized Thomas Cook Gothenburg Pocket Guide which we used.
• Visit the Flybussarna website for more information on getting to and from the airport

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Sweden – Gothenburg photoset

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There seems to be a trend in Europe for painting public buildings with light shows, so we were pleased to find that Gothenburg hosts a Julfilm or Christmas film projected onto the facade of the Museum of Art. We were in Gothenburg in West Sweden for a short break in December to get into the Christmas spirit and were hoping to enjoy a couple of free Christmas activities at either end of the main thoroughfare of Kongsportsavenyn or Avenyn – The Avenue for short.

The Avenue at Christmas in Gothenburg

On the facade of the Gothenburg Museum of Art or Konstmuseum a Christmas film is projected after dark throughout December and at the appointed time we walked down the Avenue with trees garlanded in blue lights and light-painted buildings. The snow that had covered the airport runway when our SAS flight touched down had melted away, giving way to rain and wind and we had to give up on our umbrellas as they kept being blown inside out. Guy managed to embarrassingly destroy two umbrellas this way that had been kindly lent to us by our Hotel Elite Plaza – oops!

I hope you enjoy the video below of the Christmas film at the Museum of Art in Gothenburg

If you can’t see the video above of the Gothenburg Christmas Film, please view it on my blog here

Christmas film in Gothenburg

As we reached the Museum of Art, crowd of people had gathered, sheltering sensibly under the overhanging roof of the building to one side to watch the film, while I bravely set up my camera and tripod right in front of the facade where I hoped to get a good view of the light show. We watched while Chinese dancers twirled, eighteenth century characters got off the tram to serenade us and aliens landed from the space ship – all in good Swedish fun.

I imagine that the two cartoon figures towards the end are politicians or public figures that are being poked fun at – perhaps you can enlighten me if you are from Gothenburg. If the film is a bit shaky in places it’s because the gusts of wind kept threatening to blow me over!

Christmas lights in Gothenburg

At the other end of the Avenue at Bältesspännarparken the winter wonderland of amusements was looking decidedly damp and the performance of the ‘Singing Christmas tree’ had been cancelled. I was rather disappointed, as I thought that this choir performing Christmas songs, dressed in green coats and red santa hats standing on a triangular stand (hence the Christmas tree name) sounded very jolly and just the thing to listen to while beating off the cold with a glass of steaming Glögg.

Visitor Information for Gothenburg or Göteborg

• The local tourism site Göteborg.com is full of information on the best things to see and do
• For information on West Sweden visit the West Sweden Tourism site or follow them on Twitter @WestSwedenTB or on their Facebook page and you will find their blog at ExploreWestSweden.com
• Another useful site for all things Gothenburg is I Love Göteborg
• If you plan to do a lot of sightseeing it’s worth getting the Gothenburg City Card which will allow you entrance to all the major attractions as well as public transport. Look out for the deals that some hotels offer that include a Gothenburg Card with the hotel booking.
• We stayed at the elegant 5 star hotel, Elite Plaza Hotel which is right in the centre of Gothenburg in the Inom Vallgraven district and walking distance from most things.
• We flew to Gothenburg from London Heathrow with Scandinavian Airlines, who have flights to Gothenburg daily from London into Gothenburg Landvetter airport.

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Sweden – Gothenburg photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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Think Munich and most European’s will quote their favourite beer (or rather bier) of the moment. This fun city – Germany’s largest – is renowned the world over for its hops-ridden hospitality over two and a half weeks every year. Indeed even on touchdown at Munich Airport you’ll find a year-round beer garden courtesy of Lufthansa (just in case, for a second you landed on Deutsch soil and forgot).

But of course there’s so, so, so much more to Munich than Oktoberfest. For a start there are the museums.

Museums in Munich

The new Zentrum Neue Technologien at The Deutsches Museum will appeal to nano and bio-tech lovers everywhere. There are fabulous flying bombs in the aviation room for a start. And for those who like to be more in control of their exhibits, the latest in touch screen demos.

Kids will love the Children’s World with more than 1001 toys and activities to keep them amused for more than their customary half an hour while transportation fans – especially flying buffs – will practically drool at the sight of the first-ever engine plane produced by the Wright brothers no less.

Aviation at the Deutsches Museum

Art and entertainment

Fancy some light entertainment? And we mean light. The acrobats and trapeze artists at the Variete-Theater on Maximilianstrasse use their surrounds as a vertical playground. It’s breathtaking, funny, fascinating and two hours 30 minutes well spent.

The artistic creations of 20^th and 21^st century masters such as Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol can be found in Munich’s Kunstareal.

Fairytale Castles and more

Stay in a real life fairytale castle with glittering spires and pretty turrets and which, thrillingly, once belonging to German Royalty. Indeed one of King Ludwig II’s castles – Neuschwanstein – was actually used to model the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty’s palace. There are more than 20,000 castles in Germany, most more than a century old.

Neuschwanstein Castle near Munich

For auto enthusiasts

For thrills galore head out onto the motorway or Autobahn. Yes, really. Reason is there’s NO SPEEDLIMIT. This seems strange for the European’s and American’s amongst us. But believe it, it’s true. You can go speeds of up to 300mph (and most BMW’s can) without fear of a flashing blue light descending on you.

While we’re on the subject of cars, BMW Welt (translates as ‘BMW World’) is quite simply stunning – for the design of the building alone, never mind the breathtaking exhibits. The massive 800 kilowatt solar roof panel on the huge hall gives the space a bit of an indoors/outdoors surreal experience. There’s all the latest in motor technology displayed within touching distance (indeed for most of them you can touch – even if furtively). Basically it’s a glimpse into automobile perfection.

BMW Welt in Munich

Of course you have to have money to be able to afford a BMW and Munich is indeed a city of affluence. The envious may even say smugness. But a lot of that is attributed to its football team – the world-class Bayern Munich. I don’t follow football and even I’ve heard of this modern-day Super Team which ruled world football in the mid-1970s after winning the European Cup three times in succession, thanks to former player and footballing legend Franz Beckenbauer.

Glockenspiels and Churches

Almost Grimms fairytale like is the Glockenspiel belonging to the Marienplatz in the Bavarian capital’s New Town Hall. Between March and October the little figures on this huge clock dance their way around their two storey clock theatre three times a day and are well worth a visit.

Close-up balcony view of the New Town Hall

The catholic Asamkirche – or St John Nepomuk Church – is second only in elaborate architecture (Baroque) to Rome’s Sistine Chapel, no less. No tourist is ever disappointed paying a visit to this spectacle of gilt, exquisite painting and opulence.

Macabre at Asamkirche in Munich

And then there’s the beer…

Ok, we can’t talk about Munich without mentioning beer at some point. One all-year-round attraction (and indeed there are many local regulars) is the Hofbrauhaus. This gorgeous, historical hostelry has been in existence from as far back as 1644!

Hofbrauhaus in Munich

It provides traditional German entertainment in the finest sense. At the Hofbrauhaus you can sip your beer, enjoying live music, while seated at a table which has played host to brewery visitors for more than a century. Not only that but you’re encouraged to carve your initials on the table!

The actual brewery and beer itself was founded by Wilhelm V Duke of Bavaria who didn’t like the stuff on offer at the time. Today’s brewery has a locked glass cabinet on display where locals store their own individual beer glasses (or Stein’s) ready to be used on their next visit.

This post is courtesy of Holiday Inn Meetings. Find the perfect conference rooms (Konferenzräume) in Munich with Holiday Inn Meetings – we’ve thought of every little thing.

More fun in Munich

The latest dirndl fashions in Munich
Visiting the Munich Christmas Markets – podcast
Empty splendour in the Residenz palace in Munich

Photo credits:  Deutsches Museum by Alf Igel, Neuschwanstin Castle by mwacker69, BMW Welt by To Uncertainty And Beyond, New Town Hall by Mr G’s Travels, Macabre at Asamkirche by theqspeaks, and Hofbrauhaus by cmozz

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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In 1953 a terrible earthquake struck the Greek island of Zakynthos and reduced the island capital, Zante town to rubble. Across the island churches were left in ruins and many of the important devotional artworks that were recovered were brought to be re-housed in the Zakynthos Museum on Solomos Square.

Zakynthos Museum on Solomos Square

The square is named after the famous Zakynthian poet, Dionysios Solomos, who wrote the words of the Greek National Anthem and is situated at one end of the harbour. On three sides of the square are buildings, one of which is the long frontage of the Museum. It’s an anonymous looking place that could pass for a government office and I’d never been inside because I suppose I was too busy doing what most tourists do on Zakynthos; enjoying my favourite beaches and spotting turtles.

Zakynthos Museum on Solomos Square

However, on my visit last year I had hired a car and driven with my husband to the northern end of the island to see the Monastery of St Dennis, the patron saint of the island. I suppose this spurred me on to take a look inside the Zakynthos Museum where there are a multitude of beautiful religious paintings.

The ‘Museum’ description could cover a multitude of different things, but here you’ll find two floors of religious art from the 17th and 18th centuries. There are entire altar screens from the front of a church as well as many panel paintings and icons of different saints, angels, Madonnas and other religious figures, all in glowing colours and gold backgrounds. It was like walking into a room full of life sized religious Christmas cards, the type that I send to members of my family who prefer to celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ and not a commercial fiesta of robbins, reindeer and rosy cheeked Santa Claus.

There was also a beautiful room of 17th Century frescos that had been recovered from the Saint Andrea’s Monastery in Volimes on the north of the island that was brought to the museum after the earthquake. Throughout the museum there were many photographs of the devastation of the 1953 earthquake and how things looked before and after the earthquake. I know from visiting the Romas Mansion on the other side of Solomos square that the town was rebuilt on the rubble and so the level of the new town that emerged as about 1 metre higher, and that the coast road that skirts the harbour was extended after the earthquake, where previously many houses had gardens that stretched to the waterfront.

Frescos at Zakynthos Museum on Solomos Square

Unfortunately all of the information accompanying the earthquake photos was in Greek and I wished that there was an English translation so I could understand more about this fascinating aspect of Zakynthos history. In the entrance hall of the museum you can see a model of Zante town as it was before the earthquake where you can trace some of the changes that have taken place.

The Zakynthos Museum is mainly a place for lovers of religious art works but if, like me, you have a family who would rather sit in a café with a frappé or an ice cream, then there are any number of elegant cafes just off the Solomos Square nearby to leave them while you have a look around.

Zakynthos Museum, Solomos Square, Zante town, Greece 

More things to enjoy on Zakynthos

Sunday Morning Greek Coffee and Glika in Zakynthos
Wine tasting at Oenolpi Winery on Zakynthos – video
The Venetian Fort at Bohali on Zakynthos

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Zakynthos – Zakynthos Museum photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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This is a great time of year to consider a winter break in London, with so many free galleries and museums to enjoy as well as fantastic shopping and plenty of seasonal attractions to get you into the Christmas spirit.

Christmas Light installation at Covent Garden

Christmas shopping in London

In December all the shops are gearing up for Christmas with displays of light and colour and you’ll find Christmas Markets around the city. In Covent Garden, once the centre of London’s fruit and vegetable market, this year’s celebration revolves around the Christmas Deluxe, a holiday extravaganza which runs from 15th November until the 24th December. Aside from unlimited variety of shops and stalls, there are gourmet Christmas treats from specialists and suppliers, a reindeer petting enclosure for kids complete with helpful elves and a chocolate bar serving hot chocolate drinks and handmade sweet treats. As Covent Garden is so close to London’s theatre district, you might like to end the day with a pre-theatre dinner in one of the many restaurants before going on to see a show or ballet at Covent Garden’s Opera House.

Christmas shopping at Harrods

All the main shopping districts such as Oxford Street, Carnaby Street, Bond Street and Regent’s street will have their Christmas lights switched on by the end of November and in Trafalgar Square, the 20 metres tall Christmas tree, a gift from the people of Norway, will be up from 1 December. In Knightsbridge, a visit to Harrods is guaranteed to get you in the seasonal spirit with the opulent window displays, lights enrobing the outside of the store, as well as the delicious treats in the Food Hall. On Piccadilly, Fortnum and Mason is another foodie heaven and a wonderful place to shop for gifts to bring home or treat yourself at Christmas.

The London Marriott Hotel Park Lane is ideally situated for shopping in Knightsbridge and Hyde Park.

Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park

Christmas Markets in London

In Hyde Park there’s the Winter Wonderland with the Angels Christmas market, with hand made gifts and gourmet food from around the world. There’s also an ice rink and Christmas circus as well as a funfair with giant observation wheel that will take you 60m high for a view over the lights of the park and London.

Christmas Market on London South Bank

On London’s South Bank you can find a traditional Christmas market with stalls from Cologne serving all the festive food and drink as well as arts and crafts and a traditional carousel for the children. If you’re a chocoholic you should visit the Christmas Chocolate Festival (9-12 Dec) at the Southbank Centre with 30 stalls allowing you to sample to buy everything from hot chocolate to chocolate chili, with talks and demonstrations from top chocolatiers. Following this the Southbank Centre will be hosting a Real Food Christmas Market (16-23 Dec) with 40 producers of everything you’ll need to fill your Christmas larder. Just a short walk up the South Bank you can find The OXO Tower and Gabriel’s wharf where you can buy unique gifts from 50 different designer-makers who have studios there.

The London Marriott Hotel County Hall is ideally situated on London’s South Bank to enjoy the seasonal festivities there.

Oxo building on the South Bank

Some Christmas Culture in London

After a long day shopping you can step away from the hustle and bustle and head to art exhibits and museums in London.

At the Victoria & Albert Museum, families will enjoy the Drop in Design events on Sundays through November and December  in the run up to Christmas as well as a chance to buy unique design gifts in one of my favourite museum gift shops. At the Natural History Museum you can see the dinosaurs and there’s an ice rink in the front of the museum until early January with thousands of twinkling lights garlanding the surrounding trees.

At the National Gallery there’s a major exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci – Painter at the court of Milan that runs until February 2012  and just around the corner, is the National Portrait gallery where you can find portraits of celebrities and well known public figures as well as kings and queens throughout the ages.

Beside the Thames, the Tate Britain holds the largest collection of British art in the world showing work from the last five centuries including contemporary British art – some are masterpieces of Hogarth, Hepworth and Bacon as well as the famous Turners. Cross the river by ferry to the South Bank where you’ll find the Tate Modern, set in an old power station, where the latest installation is a surreal silent film by Tacita Dean that’s projected onto the Turbine Hall walls.

The Geffrye Museum at Christmas

In East London there are several less well known, but no less fascinating museums and I highly recommend the Geffrye Museum, set in an 18th century almshouses with room-sets showing how Londoners lived over the centuries. At this time of year all the rooms are decorated in the appropriate Christmas style for their era. For an even more intimate experience visit the Dennis Severs House, where a Georgian House has been recreated just as it would have been when it was the home of a prosperous Spitalfield silk weaver, lit with candles and with a smells and murmurs or the ghosts of the past who lived there. You visit the house in silence to absorb the spirit of the place – visits must be booked in advance so check the website for the times of visits.

A musical Christmas in London

The traditional Carol singing is guaranteed to get you in the festive mood and there are plenty of concerts to choose from. Churches throughout the capital are hosting Christmas concerts and carol services, some of which require advance booking, others are free but have a charity collection. Check the websites of St Martin-in-the-Fields, near Trafalgar square, St Paul’s Cathedral, Southwark Cathedral and Westminster Abbey for details of their Advent and Christmas concerts and Carol services.

Christmas tree in Westminster

In Trafalgar Square you can enjoy a free outdoor carol concert as different choirs perform each evening between 2-22 December from 5-9pm. At the South Bank Centre you can find a host of musical and artistic events and they also have free music sessions and other events in the foyer of the South Bank centre – on Friday evening you’ll usually find musicians performing anything from jazz to blues and there are also lunchtime concerts in the Central bar on Fridays and Sundays.

New Year Fireworks at London eye

Reasons to be in London in January

Heralding the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games year, London’s official New Year firework display from the London Eye is certain to be a spectacular show against a stunning backdrop to conclude your London festivities. Prepare to be dazzled by spectacular fireworks along the river Thames with prime vantage points are Victoria Embankment, north of the Thames, the bridges in Waterloo and Westminster, and the eastern Jubilee footbridge.

If you love a bargain, you’ll be able to take advantage of the sales in all the London Stores after Christmas and treat yourself to designer brands at a discount. Meanwhile you can enjoy all the same galleries and museums I’ve mentioned above as well as major new exhibitions such as the David Hockney exhibition (21 Jan-9 April) at the Royal Academy.

Time to book your winter break in London with Marriott Hotels and enjoy all the the Capital has to offer.

Photo credits: Harrods by Olivier Bruchez, Hyde Park by BitchBuzz, Westminster by paulmcdee, and London eye by Mike-Campbell

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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Travelling around the world can be a tricky thing to do. Not only dealing with foreign languages and money, you’re left grabbing at the fabricated ‘touristy’ versions of the real places you want to visit. Taking a trip in order to avoid such things, my friend and I decided on going to Prague to locate some hidden gems that most travellers simply overlook. Leaving the comfort of England with little more than a few backpacks, we were ready to explore.

The Charles Bridge in Prague

Landing on the outskirts of the city, we knew that the first thing we had to do was locate somewhere to stay. Certainly not left to the last second, we took a few wrong turns and discovered the Hotel Troja. A four star hotel with a very reasonable price tag, we were stunned by the wonderful glass dinning room as well as gorgeous view of the city.

Carriage in Prague Palace

Already more than pleased, we knew that we actually had to go out and explore rather than rest in our comfortable beds. First thing we wanted to do is gain a lay of the land. With so many different ways to do this, including visiting the popular Prague Castle, we decided on avoiding the crowds by finding the Petrin Tower. We were given the option to climb up or take the lift and, due to simple laziness, we decided on paying the £3 fee to get to the top. Offering a 360-degree view of the city, the Petrin Tower offers a fantastic opportunity to see the entire city as well as a great part of the Czech Republic.

We decided on looking for some historical buildings that would appeal to the curious traveller. Finding history is not a difficult task in such an old and beautiful city, so it didn’t take long to stumble upon the Lereta Monastery and Treasury. This Baroque shrine holds some of the greatest treasures in all of Prague, including the ‘Sun of Prague’, a diamond-studded monstrance. Located in the heart of Prague, it’s a must see location for any tourist.

We mutually decided that our next location had to be relaxing and fun. With different definitions of the above words, we settled upon a place that everyone would enjoy: the Prague Zoo. Hanging out with everything from the antelopes to the zebras, the zoo was really quite impressive, especially seeing as it only cost us around £6. We explored the zoo grounds for almost the entire day and I don’t believe we actually saw everything!

Carriage rides around Prague

Our stomachs grumbling, our travelling had to stop for a brief moment so that we could grab a bite to eat. Eating out in Prague is a delight, especially since the capital offers such a vast array of food. We decided upon the Artisan Restaurant & Café, which served up an array of European dishes. Selecting a pasta dish, I was more than happy with the service and so too was my friend.

The National Theatre in Prague

On our last leg of the journey we wanted to see two of Prague’s great performance halls in one day: the Rudolfinum and the National Theatre. As we are both musicians, we enjoy listening to the acoustics of magnificent buildings. Attending a show in one and simply walking in to look at the other, both halls will delight to visit. Whether you want to see a fabulous performance or simply enjoy the architecture, I would highly recommending popping in to either one.

The Rudolfinum in Prague

As our journey came to a close, I still feel like there was so much more to see. I enjoyed visiting sites largely neglected by the public and would gladly do it again. If you ever get the chance to visit Prague, take the time to visit these amazing locations, I know that you won’t regret it.

Author Bio: Michal Kniec, after completing a History degree in Canada, decided that a little change of scenery would do him some good and moved across the world to Manchester. Now studying law, he loves to write, cook, and travel as much as possible on this pale blue dot.

My thanks for this sponsored article to My Destination Prague – your guide to everything about Prague

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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Episode 17 in my travel podcast series takes us for a long weekend to Copenhagen in the early summer. You’ll hear the sounds of the children’s carnival that we came across while shopping, and the gastronomic specialities from Smørrebrød to Michelin star cuisine, that have given Copenhagen such a reputation as a foodie destination. Just like the Copenhageners we got on our bikes and took the train to visit the Karen Blixen Museum at Rungsted, cycled back along the coast road and enjoyed the band and old fashioned amusements at the Tivoli Gardens. We also took the canal tour to see the sights of the harbour area, such as the Royal Yacht and the Little Mermaid and had to duck to avoid banging our heads on the low bridges of Nyhavn.

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Show notes

• We flew from Heathrow to Copenhagen airport and easily made our way directly to the hotel by Metro, buying a ticket from the machine in the airport that takes credit cards.
• We stayed at the Ibsens Hotel, a neighbourhood boutique hotel in Nansensgade, an area that has a studenty feel with plenty of small bars and restaurants and is near the Copenhagen lakes. The hotel aims to be CO2 neutral – breakfast it is served on a plastic tray with a selection of different cereals and fruits in glasses and sandwiches in paper bags to avoid waste. The decor is colourful, funky and modern with items from local artizans who have shops nearby.

Library at Ibsens Hotel, Copenhagen

• We spent our first morning shopping, walking around the main shopping street of Strøget and Amagertorv, exploring the big 3 Danish designer shops, starting with Illums Bolighus, a homeware store that sells beautiful Danish and Scandanavian design for the home. You can walk directly through from the 1st floor to the Royal Copenhagen store with the famous blue and white Copenhagen pattern that we also saw in many of the restaurants that we visited as well as the Christmas plates that we saw on sale in the flea market beside the canal. We also visited the Georg Jensen store with silver jewellery and watches – I visited the Georg Jensen workshops in a previous visit to Copenhagen and saw some of the heritage pieces being made.
• As we walked along Amagertorv we saw a parade of children dressed in green and pink, drumming and dancing in a procession as part of the Copenhagen Carnival that was taking place that weekend.

Childrens carnival in Copenhagen

• Copenhagen is known as a gourmet destination and is scattered with a number of Michelin star restaurants, with Noma being one of the best known as it was voted the ‘Best Restaurant in the World’ We wanted to try the Danish open sandwich known as Smørrebrød and stopped at Gitte Kik for lunch, then later tried Aamanns where there is a deli with Smørrebrød made with fresh and seasonal ingredients for a late afternoon snack. The chef Adam Amaans started his deli after he wanted to make good food for his children to take to school for their packed lunch and couldn’t find the quality he was looking for, so ended up making it himself.
• At Gitte Kik I interviewed the owner Frank about the Danish tradition of Smørrebrød. At Gitte Kik, rather than a menu card they have a counter where the dishes are laid out so that customers can choose from 80 different combinations of toppings. The restaurant has been on this spot since 1797 and as it’s right opposite the Danish Parliament Building, its a popular lunchtime spot for the Members of Parliament. Herring is very popular topping and is generally washed down with beer or schnapps. One of the specialties is known as Dyrlægensn natmad or the Vet’s night snack, with a topping of liver pate with salt veal and onions which was traditionally prepared by the farmer’s wife when the vet came out to tend to the livestock.

Gitte Kik in Copenhagen

• I interviewed Christian, the owner of Ved Stranden wine bar close to the canal – apparently it’s the favourite off duty haunt of René Redzepi, the chef at Noma. The wine bar, which opened a year and a half ago, tries to create a convivial atmosphere for guests. The speciality here are cold climate wines from Austria, Germany and Eastern Europe with great minerality, structure and fruit.
• Later we moved on to look around the neighbourhood of Nørrebro, where we stopped in the Claus Meyer bakery, known for the great Danish bread - I had visited the Claus Meyer production bakery when I was last in Copenhagen, so I know how passionate they are about their sourdough!

Coffee Collective in Copenhagen

• Just across the road  we stopped in at Coffee Collective where they are equally passionate about their coffee. There’s only one small shop and a few tables outside and most people get their coffee to take away although they sell coffee all over Copenhagen.The owners work with the farmers in Brazil, Guatamala, Kenya and Panama paying the best prices for the best quality coffee.

Heather Cowper and Henrik Yde-Andersen at Kiin Kiin in Copenhagen

• We finished the day with Champagne and canapes at Kiin Kiin, the only Michelin star Thai restaurant in the world, where I chatted to the owner-chef Henrik Yde Andersen. Henrik was a chef for 4 years in Thailand – his signature dish is the frozen Red Thai curry served with a lobster salad with coriander seeds and for desert the Khao Niaow Ma Muan with sticky rice and sweet mango or the Pandan ice cream with roasted coconut.
• If you want somewhere low key to eat, Henrik also has a number of other restaurants in Copenhagen such as AroiDee just next door to Kiin Kiin, Rice Market and Dim Sum. Henrik is also on a suicidal mission to take Thai food back to Bangkok and has rcently opened his latest restaurant at the Kempinski Hotel in Bangkok.When he’s off duty he takes his Dad for lunch at for Smørrebrød at Schoenneman

On the train in Copenhagen

• We hired bikes and took the train out to Rungsted to see the house of the famous Danish Writer, Karen Blixen. I had visited her house in the neighbourhood of Karen (named after her) in Nairobi built on the site of her coffee plantation. When her plantation failed in the 1930s she returned with no money to her childhood home at Runstedlund
• In one wing you enter the shop and cafe with an exhibition room upstairs where you can see the typewriter on which she wrote all her books. In the other wing are the private rooms which are furnished as they were in her life where you can walk through the rooms that she lived in, the dining room and drawing room  where she entertained guests and a chest given to her by her servant Farah.
• She was known for the beautiful wild flower arrangements from the garden where there is a cut flower garden. In her later life Karen Blixen became a celebrity and she travelled to America to speak on American Radio. At the back of the Karen Blixen House, through the garden is a bird sanctuary in the woodland where she is buried under a shady tree. Everyone I met seemed to have a story at Karen Blixen, she was such a strong character who inspired many people.

Karen Blixen House near Copenhagen

• We rode our bikes back to Klampenborg station along the coast road catching glimpses of the sea between the houses. At Klampenborg we stopped for a while on the beach to look at the apartment complex designed by the famous Danish designer Arne Jacobsen. It’s easy to travel with your bike on the train in Copenhagen – there’s a special carriage at each end of the train where you can put your bikes.

Pantomime Theatre in Tivoli Gardens

• In the late afternoon we visited the Tivoli Gardens where we strolled around looking at all the attractions and sat listening to the band in the bandstand. As you come in the gate you can see the Moorish Palace style building of the Nimb Hotel and there is a lake with boats and a pirate galleon. It’s said that Walt Disney visited the Tivoli and it gave him the idea for the Disney parks.
• Although there are many restaurants in Tivoli, we decided to eat in the neighbourhood of our hotel where there were many small bars and restaurants. We found a restaurant called Nice, which sold Moules and Chips which my husband fancied trying. We realised when we sat down that the restaurant didn’t take credit cards and we had 500 Krone which would normally not go very far in Copenhagen where eating out is expensive, but luckily it was enough for our meal.

Copenhagen Canal tour

• On the Sunday morning of our last day we decided to take a canal tour which is a good way to see a lot in just an hour. We took the one with DFDS boat that was included in our Copenhagen cards although there is a cheaper Netto tour boat a little further along the quay. The tour goes through the canal areas under the low bridges and then we moved into open water, passing the Royal Yacht and the Royal Library nicknamed the Black Diamond. We saw the Little Mermaid with crowds of people waiting to have their photo taken. The areas which were once the run down areas of Copenhagen are now the most sought after with expensive apartments with boats moored alongside and merchant houses looking like Amsterdam.

If you enjoyed this travel podcast please check out my other podcasts in my Travel Podcast Archive

More about Copenhagen

In search of the perfect Smørrebrød – in Copenhagen
Out of Africa and other Danish stories – At the Karen Blixen Museum
What can you buy for 500 Krone in Copenhagen?
A tour of the Georg Jensen workshops in Copenhagen
Modern Thai cooking with Danish style at Kiin Kiin in Copenhagen

Links to the places mentioned in Copenhagen

Ibsens Hotel
Illums Bolighus
Royal Copenhagen
Georg Jensen
Aamanns
Slotskaelderen hos Gitte Kik
Ved Stranden
Claus Meyer
Coffee Collective
Kiin Kiin
Restaurant Schønnemann
Karen Blixen museum in Copenhagen
Tivoli Gardens
DFDS canal tours

Resources for visiting Copenhagen

• The Visit Copenhagen website has information about places to visit in Copenhagen
• We used the Copenhagen Card that gives free entry to 65 museums and attractions as well as free public transport around the city

Thanks to Wonderful Copenhagen for sponsoring our weekend in Copenhagen.

Music credits: The music at the start of the podcast was Venus as a girl by Andy McKee on Musicalley.com and the Mozart music from Out of Africa was Clarinet Concerto Adagio played by Umeshshankar with other music recorded at the Tivoli gardens in Copenhagen.

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Copenhagen – around Copenhagen photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home
You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

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This article from Central London Apartments, will give you some great ideas for some of the key things you’ll want to explore when visiting London.

Capital cities don’t come much more interesting or diverse than London. There is plenty to keep you busy, whatever your budget and however long you plan on spending there. I opted for a four-day stay, a long weekend. The problem was that it was probably not quite long enough, although at least it gives me an excuse to return again soon.

Getting around

The obvious tourist attractions were my first port of call. Despite planning to do a lot of my sightseeing on foot, I also purchased an off-peak travel card for the London Underground that allows unlimited journeys within zones 1 and 2, which is effectively central London, on the day of purchase for £6.60, just in case. It proved a good investment and using the tube is pretty straightforward. It is an essential part of the whole London experience.

The London Eye on the South Bank

The London Eye

Thousands of tourists flock here every day and it is easy to see why, if only for the backdrop. It is best to book online if, like me, you fancy a “flight” (as it is dubbed) on the London Eye. Booking online means you’ll receive up to an 18 per cent discount and beat the queues, which can be lengthy. In the end, it cost just over £16 for 30 minutes in the spacious capsule and it was without doubt worth every penny. You can pretty much see all of London’s must-see landmarks, from the huge arch at Wembley Stadium way off in the distance, to Buckingham Palace and the Mall, which I later enjoyed a leisurely stroll down. Sadly, as I was told by a friendly policeman, the Queen wasn’t home that day. Shame – I could’ve done with using one of her many WCs.

10 Downing Street and Trafalgar Square

My little ramble around this part of central London also took in number 10 Downing Street, where admittedly there is not a great deal to see as visitors are kept some distance away, and Trafalgar Square. I didn’t fancy feeding the pigeons under Nelson’s Column and instead headed for the Vista Bar at the Trafalgar Hotel, a rooftop establishment that, although a tad on the pricey side, gave me another glimpse of that distinctive skyline. I could have stayed for hours, but unfortunately my spending money had to stretch a little further before I hit the ATM with empty pockets.

The Natural History and Science Museum

London accommodation is plentiful and you should carefully consider where you want to stay within proximity of the types of places you want to visit. My stay in one of an attractive block of Hyde Park executive apartments, for example, gave me excellent access to arguably the most well-known park in the city, as well as the Natural History Museum and Science Museum, which are both free of charge. If you have children, these are a must. Even as a self-confessed big kid in my late 20s, it kept me entertained for an afternoon and they are right next door to each other.

Mammals Gallery at the Natural History Museum, London

Trendy Markets and shopping

Next stop was nearby Notting Hill, famed for its annual carnival every August. This is considered to be a trendy area to hang out and watch the world go by. It was possibly a little too trendy for me. I felt out of place in a big way.

Fortunately, I was much more at home in Portobello Road Market, where you can pretty much buy anything and everything from an impressive selection of independent stores. Anyone with more than a passing interest in antiques could spend hours here. I’m not one of those people, but I appreciate good workmanship when I see it and there was plenty on show.

Another prime place for a spot of bargain hunting is Camden Town. The unique sights and sounds of this part of London will live long in the memory for me. It’s a bustling place – sometimes a little too busy for my liking – with a mishmash of bars, pubs and quirky shops, as well the opportunity to chill out down by the canal. If the weather is good, as it was on my visit, then it’s a perfect spot to refuel.

The Globe Theatre, South Bank, London

A Bus sightseeing tour

It would be fair to say that I’m not a city ‘cruise’ person, nor the type who goes on bus tours. In London, though, I made an exception, simply because of the sheer size of the place. And I’m glad I did. For just over £20, I was whisked around the streets and shown a wide variety of sites, like Fleet Street and the Globe Theatre on the South Bank that I would’ve otherwise missed. Along the way you are told little nuggets of information by a chirpy guide. For example, did you know Big Ben is actually the name of the bell in the Westminster clock tower? No, me neither.

A London River Cruise

A cruise down the River Thames is included in the price and offers the opportunity to take in the city from a different perspective as you float effortlessly from Westminster past the Tower of London, under London Bridge and down to The O2 Arena – formerly known as the Millennium Dome – that now houses a huge arena and a cluster of bars and restaurants.

Victoria Embankment in London

West End Shows

Back in central London, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus are manna from heaven for those who like to be trigger happy with their cameras. After almost getting a sun tan from all the flashing lights and huge plasma screens, I decided to round off my break by seeing a West End show. No stay in London is complete without doing so, I was told. Avenue Q tickled my fancy. It’s basically an X-rated version of the Muppet Show. Not up everyone’s street, I admit, but very funny. And I managed to get cheap tickets (around £20) directly beforehand from the box-office – what a bonus! A great way to end a memorable trip.

Photo Credits: All photos by Heather on her travels

My thanks for this sponsored post to Central London Apartments, specialists in serviced London apartment rentals for leisure and business travellers

More things to see in London

Into Churchill’s Underground Bunker – the Churchill War rooms in London
A River trip in London up the Thames to Greenwich – video
They’re changing the guards at Buckingham Palace

www.flickr.com  heatheronhertravels’ London – around London photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

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Why did I want to visit Karen Blixen’s family home near Copenhagen where she returned from Kenya to write her book, Out of Africa? Well now, let me tell you the story.

At the Karen Blixen House near Copenhagen

I spent a month in Kenya as a student and took with me as holiday reading, Karen Blixen’s memoir Out of Africa. I was enchanted by her tales of daily life on the coffee plantation near Nairobi, the story of ‘her’ Kikuyu and the flights she took over the rift valley with her lover Denys Finch Hatton.

‘I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong hills’ the story begins, and goes on to describe the colours, the scents, the shapes, the essence of Africa. Like Karen Blixen, I was taken flying by a pilot friend in a light aircraft, looking down on those same Ngong hills and that same Rift valley. How could I not fall in love with Kenya as seen through Karen Blixen’s eyes?

So when I came to Copenhagen, it was high on my list to see the house at Rungstedlund overlooking the Sound, that had been Karen Blixen’s family home. After her coffee plantation in Kenya had failed and she had to sell everything in the 1930s, this was where she returned and devoted herself to writing, becoming a celebrated and  respected author by the end of her life.

Karen Blixen's grave at her house at Rungstedlund

This was the house where she entertained guests and collected a devoted following of writers and artists around her. This was where she turned the woodland at the back of her house into a bird sanctuary and where she kept a cut flower garden to create beautiful arrangements in all her elegant rooms. This is where she is buried under a big tree in the woodland bird sanctuary.

Although the house at Rungstedlund is a little way out of Copenhagen, it’s easy enough to get to on the train from the city centre. When you reach the station at Rungsted it’s a 30 minute walk or a short bus ride to the house, or better still a wander along the woodland path, following the clearly marked signs for the Karen Blixen museum. We chose to hire bikes for the day which we took on the train with us and then cycled back part of the way along the coast road towards Copenhagen, before returning by train from Klampenborg station.

The house is a traditional Danish farmhouse, that was originally made up of four buildings set around a courtyard. Two were destroyed by fire in the past and what remains is an L-shape house of two wings, softened by greenery and the courtyard in front and gardens behind. You enter at the front to find a small shop and a cafe that extends to the terrace at the back, with an exhibition room upstairs with photographs and information about Karen Blixen and her life, including the the old fashioned typewriter on which she would type her stories. There are couple of small library rooms to the side, where you can sit down and read all the books written about her and by her.

Karen Blixen's House at Rungstedlund near Copenhagen

Although this was an interesting start to our visit, the highlight was to see the rooms where Karen Blixen lived, with the decor and furniture just as they were in her lifetime, as if she had stepped out for a moment to cut a few flowers in the garden. This part of the house is open for a guided tour of small groups at regular intervals which seemed to be about every hour when we were there. At the appointed time the door is unlocked and you are allowed to enter and hear a short introduction from the guide who was happy to give it in English as well as Danish. We looked around an exhibition room showing a timeline of Karen Blixen’s life and watched a documentary film continually running on a loop about her life and achievements.

Karen Blixen Museum near Copenhagen

Karen Blixen Museum near Copenhagen

If you’ve ever flicked through one of those interior design books about Danish country houses, with pared down classical elegance, washed out colours to reflect the sea and sky and lovely antique furniture, it was all recreated here. Here were the chandeliers, the decorative cast iron stoves and the lace curtains at the window making pools on the polished wood floor and framing the view to the garden. In one room are displayed the pictures that Karen Blixen painted, of her African staff, the warrior and the Kikuyu ndito (which you’ll often see on the cover of her books) Throughout the house are the arrangements of cut flowers that she loved to make, taking cultivated and wild flowers from the garden in the woodland behind the house.

The Karen Blixen House near Copenhagen

The Karen Blixen House near Copenhagen

Many of these pictures, ornaments and furniture had been to Kenya and back again including the screen by the fire from which she took motifs to inspire the stories she told to Denys Finch Hatton. You can see the dark wood Swahili chest studded with brass decoration that was a gift from her loyal Somali servant Farah who returned with her to Denmark and is normally topped with a flower arrangement from the garden. When I chatted to the Danish chef of Kiin Kiin, Henrik Yde Andersen, he was also enchanted by the house and told me that for his graduation meal he had recreated a menu and table setting, complete with the lovely wild flower arrangements that would have been eaten by a guest in Karen Blixen’s house when she was still alive.

The Karen Blixen House near Copenhagen

The Karen Blixen House near Copenhagen

Karen Blixen endured great tragedy in her life, the suicide of her father, the breakdown of her marriage, the death in a plane crash of her lover Denys Finch Hatton and the failure of her coffee farm. It must have been very difficult to return with no money to Denmark, leaving her beloved Africa behind, to return to the family estate of Runstedlund with nothing. Yet by the end of her life her strength of character had prevailed and she had become a literary celebrity, visiting America and broadcasting on Danish and American radio.

After her death in 1962 the house at Rungstedlund was maintained through the trust that she established to receive all the royalties from her books. The success of the film Out of Africa in 1986, with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in the starring roles, also brought in funding to restore and maintain both the house at Rundstelund and the farm house in Kenya, as well as renewed interest in Karen Blixen. She was above all a storyteller and if you enjoy both her stories and the story of her life, then you’ll find the Karen Blixen museum at Rungstedlund near Copenhagen a fascinating place to connect with her.

Directions to reach the Karen Blixen Museum at Rungstedlund, near Copenhagen

To reach the Karen Blixen Museum at Rungstedlund, take the S train line to Klampenborg and change for the Coastal line to Runsted station or take the Coastal train direct to Rungsted, depending on your starting point. You can take bikes on the train as we did and there are normally at least 3 trains per hour to Rungsted. Once you get to Rungsted station you can follow the well marked signs to the Karen Blixen Museum which is a 30 minute walk or 15 minute cycle ride. Alternatively you can get off at Klampenborg and take the No 388 bus up the coast, admiring the views of the sea and the sound on the way. The bus will take you close to the museum which is on the coast road.

Resources for visiting the Karen Blixen House and Museum

• Visit the website of the Karen Blixen Museum at Runstedlund near Copenhagen
• Visit the website of the Karen Blixen Museum at Karen, Nairobi, Kenya
• The Visit Copenhagen website has plenty of information about places to visit in Copenhagen
• We visited the Karen Blixen Museum and travelled there with the Copenhagen Card that gives free entry to 65 museums and attractions as well as free public transport around the city

Thanks to Wonderful Copenhagen for sponsoring our weekend in Copenhagen.

www.flickr.com    heatheronhertravels’ Copenhagen – Karen Blixen House photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

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In Podcast 16 in my travel podcast series, I visit Salzburg in Austria and the nearby Lake Wolfgang at the beginning of May with my family. We looked in at Hangar 7, a combination of motor and aeronautical museum and foodie destination, climbed up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress that dominates Salzburg, and tapped into the musical connections that the city has with Mozart and the Sound of Music. After a couple of days we drove east of Salzburg to Lake Wolfgang, stopping to see the trick fountains at Schloss Hellbrunn and stayed in the wonderful Hotel Im Weissen Rössl by the lake and took the steam train up the mountain for amazing views of Lake Wolfgang and the other lakes nearby.

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If you enjoyed this podcast, check out all my other Travel Podcasts in my Podcast Archive

Formula 1 cars at Hangar 7 in Salzburg

Smart Food at Mayday Bar in Hangar 7 in Salzburg

Shownotes

Our first stop on arrival in Salzburg was Hangar 7, a domed hangar on the edge of Salzburg airfield, filled with vintage planes and Formula 1 cars, with an art exhibition in one area and a computer game console with a motor racing game.

We ate in the Mayday bar, which serves Smart Food, that is delicious, beautifully presented and nutritionally designed to do you good. You can choose between the Brain Menu, the Mood Menu or the Beauty Menu and in the podcast you’ll hear what I enjoyed from the Brainfood Menu.

The Hohensalzburg Fortress in Salzburg

The next day we visited the Hohensalzburg Fortress, ascending on the funicular, with birds eye views over Salzburg and the countryside around. From the audioguide tour we learned how the wealth of the city was built on salt and how the Bishops of Salzburg who ruled here built up the fortress over the centuries. As we came down from the Fortress, the Mayday celebrations were in full swing and we found a beer tent with a brass band at the foot of the Fortress where we ate lunch of bratwurst and sauerkraut.

In the Mirabell Gardens, Salzburg

Across the river we wandered through the Mirabell gardens where the formal parterres were filled with a colourful display of tulips and pansies. The gardens are a favourite place for newly married couples to come and have their wedding photos taken, and as I’d visited the gardens as a child with my sisters, we recreated the photo of our family sitting on one of the stone unicorns in the Mirabell gardens.

Mozart's birthplace in Salzburg

Next we visited the museum at Mozart’s Birthplace set in the house where Mozart was born and his family lived. The family apartment is quite small with only one bedroom where Mozart was born, although the museum stretches over other rooms, and contains family portraits and information about Mozart’s life. The rooms were quite bare so you couldn’t get much sense of what the house was like when Mozart lived there.

Our last sightseeing stop was the Museum der Moderne, Salzburg’s Museum of Modern Art. Although the Museum is set on the top of a cliff, there’s a lift that takes you up from street level. There was a Giacometti exhibition and I enjoyed the large outdoor sculptures on the wooded terrace outside the main Museum building.

I’d been recommended by Austrian blogger @Travelwriticus to visit the Steinterrasse on the 7th floor of the Steinhotel. From here we got another great view over the town of Salzburg and we sat in the late afternoon sunshine enjoying a coffee, slice of Sacher Torte and an ice cream sundae.

Museum der Moderne in Salzburg

Later that evening we ate at the Sternbräu restaurant where I interviewed Restaurant Manager, Johannes Magoy about some of the traditional Austrian dishes served at Sternbräu. The Sternbräu restaurant is one of the largest restaurants in Austria, with 14 restaurant rooms, all serving traditional Austrian dishes. The restaurant used to be a brewery until it moved out of the city and it is thought that Mozart also came here to eat.

View from Steinterrasse in Salzburg

Johannes recommended traditional Austrian dishes such as Tafelspitz – boiled beef with horseradish sauce, Bierfleisch, a goulash made with beef cooked in a beer sauce. For desert he suggested you try the Salzburg Nockerl, a sweet souffle of eggs and sugar and Topfenknödel a dumpling filled with cream cheese. If you love cakes you should try the Sacher Torte invented at the Sacher Hotel in Salzburg as well as the Apfelstrudel, apple pie Austrian style. Sternbräu serves 7 different kinds of draught beer including the Stern beer that is brewed especially for the restaurant and the Weissbier or Wheat beer that some people say tastes like bananas.

Sternbräu in Salzburg

Sternbräu restaurant in Salzburg

Driving out of Salzburg we stopped at Schloss Hellbrunn, built by the Archbishop of Salzburg, Markus Sittikus in 1613. The park is free to enter and there is a country house to look around but Schloss Hellbrunn is best known for the trick foruntains. The archbishop was brought up in Italy and had visited Italian villas with similar fountains and he made the fountains as a diversion and amusement for his guests. The trick is that when turned on the fountains spout water from unexpected places and directions to soak the unwary passer by.

There is a large stone table where the jets of water spout out of the table and seats and a grotto where there is a fountain was topped with a golden crown that moved up and down on the jet of water to represent the rise and fall of power. We also passed by a water theatre with small models which turn around, all powered by the flow of water.

Gardens at Schloss Hellbrunn, Salzburg

The evening before we had watched a DVD of the Sound of Music which was filmed in and around the city and there are popular Sound of Music tours to visit the film locations. I watched the film after we had spent a day sightseeing and we had fun spotting the locations where we had been earlier in the day such as the Fortress that is the backdrop of many scenes in the film, the Mirabell gardens and the squares and fountains that feature in the film.

At Schloss Hellbrunn, we saw the pavilion that features in the film where Liesel sings I am 16 going on 17 and Captain Von Trapp proposes to Maria. It would be fun to do a Sound of Music tour but you can see many of the locations just by wandering around Salzburg.

Most of the things we saw in and around Salzburg were with the Salzburg Card that we purchased at our hotel. The card allows free or discounted entrance to most of the major sights and attractions in Salzburg as well as free public transport and is especially good value if you are there for 2-3 days. While in Salzburg we stayed in the comfortable Hotel Zur Post, a family run Gasthaus that is a short bus ride from the old centre of Salzburg.

Sound of Music pavilion at Schloss Hellbrunn, Salzburg

From Salzburg we drove to Lake Wolfgang where there was a Mayday celebration taking place in the town with bands playing and different stalls selling food and wine and beer.

We were lucky to stay at Im Weissen Rössl, one of the nicest hotels in St Wolfgang – well known as the setting of the popular opera also called Im Weissen Rössl, about a head waiter who falls in love with the widow who owns the hotel. There is a spa, indoor pool and lakeside terrace at the hotel with an outdoor pool and jacuzzi which we enjoyed swimming in. The lake water is known for being of drinking quality being very clean and clear.

Hotel Im Weissen Rössl at St Wolfgang in Austria

While in Wolfgangsee I interviewed Wolfgang Linsmayer who I met at the Mayday celebration and runs Gastof Burglstein, a 4 star hotel beside Wolfgangsee. He told me the story of how St Wolfgang build a church in the town, which has been a centre of pilgrimage over the centuries. The story goes that St Wolfgang threw his axe from the mountain and where the axe landed he decided to build the church. Saint Wolfgang made a bet with the Devil and as the Devil lost, he had to help build the church.

Wolfgang recommends that his guests enjoy swimming in the lake and there are plenty of walking and hiking trails in the mountains surrounding the lake, as well as a cycle path around the lake. Being in the centre of the Salzkamergut region there are many things to do such as visit the town of Salzburg, and see the nearby Salt mines at Hallstatt or the Ice caves at Werfen.

Wolfgang and Carolin Linsmayer in St Wolfgang

On our last day we took a trip on the Schafbergbahn, a steam powered cog wheel train that runs up the mountain from St Wolfgang. The train takes 45 minutes to get up to the top of the mountain with amazing views over the lakes below. At the top you can do some hiking or just have a coffee or drink in the cafe at the top before coming down again.

On our return to the hotel we had a final ride in a pedalo on the lake provided for guests at Hotel Im Weissen Rössl before heading for the airport and back to the UK.

Schafbergbahn train above Wolfgangsee

If you enjoyed this travel podcast please check out my other podcasts in my Travel Podcast Archive

Links to places mentioned in the Podcast

Hangar 7 – Free entry motor and aeronautical museum and stylish foodie destination
Hohensalzburg Fortress – dominating the town, this Fortress was built up over the centuries by the Prince Archbishops of Salzburg
The Museum of Mozart’s Birthplace
Museum der Moderne – Salzburg Museum of Modern Art
Steinterrasse – the open air terrace cafe on the 7th floor of Hotel Stein
Sternbräu restaurant – one of the largest restaurants in Austria with 14 different rooms and courtyards serving traditional Austrian dishes
Hotel Zur Post – a comfortable Gasthaus where we stayed while in Salzburg
Schloss Hellbrunn – a country house with lake and gardens that is known for its trick fountains
Im Weissen Rössl, (The White Horse Inn) – a small luxury hotel set on the shores of Wolfgangsee in Austria
Gastof Burglstein – the 4 star hotel by Wolfgangsee, run by Wolfgang Linsmayer who I interviewed at the Mayday festival
Schafbergbahn – the steam powered cog wheel railway up the mountain
Salt mines at Hallstatt – The wealth of Salzburg was founded on salt
Ice Caves at Werfen – the largest system of ice caves in the world
Salzburg Card – provides free or discounted entrance to all the major attractions in Salzburg and free public transport
Salzburg Tourist Information website
Wolfgangsee Tourist Information website

For more information about Holidays in Austria visit the Austrian Tourism Website and follow them on Twitter @Austria_UK

My thanks to the Austria National Tourism Office UK for sponsoring our trip to Salzburg and Wolfgangsee

Music Credits: The music at the start of the podcast was Venus as a girl by Andy McKee and the Mozart music was Piano Quartet in G 3rd Movement played by Linda Holzer  both on Musicalley.com, other band music was recorded at the May Day Festival in Wolfgangsee

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Salzburg – around Salzburg photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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From the outside Hangar 7 looks like one of those modern, glass encased, out-of-town car showrooms, but step inside and you might imagine that you’ve walked into a rich boy’s toy cupboard. Here are shiny, brightly coloured Formula One cars, flame red motorbikes, a helicopter there, a restored vintage plane there, but these shiny toys are all life size for you to drool over.

Hangar 7 in Salzburg

The concept was started by Red Bull mega businessman, Dietrich Mateschitz with a few planes in a hangar on the edge of Innsbruck airfield but his collection outgrew the space and moved to the new Hangar 7 on the edge of Salzburg airfield. There’s an art exhibition with easy sofas to one side of the Hangar, a computer driving game where the teenagers can gather waiting for their turn and at dusk the huge glass domed building glows as the coloured lights come on inside.

Red Bull gives you wings at Hangar 7

Formula 1 cars at Hangar 7 in Salzburg

Those of you who love all this aeronautical stuff will instantly be drawn to the massive twin propeller Douglas DC-6B that once carried Yugoslavia’s Marshall Tito and now dominates Hangar 7 but there are less obvious curiosities too, such as the tiny BD-SJ Microjet that starred in the James Bond film Octopussy, with power that is out of proportion to its under 5m wingspan. Then there’s the CH-7 Kompress helicopter that was made from a kit and runs on normal petrol – imagine dropping into your local garage to fill that up.

Art exhibition at Hangar 7 in Salzburg

There’s even a real life model of the Red Bull XZ010 Sebastien Vettel car that features on the virtual racing track of the Playstation Gran Tourismo racing computer game. The planes all get a regular outing as the Flying Bulls team of pilots show off their aeronautical skills at air shows around Europe. If you have anyone in your family that is facinated by the world of aeronautics and Formula 1 racing Hangar 7 would be the place to bring them – I probably wouldn’t take very young children but great for school age kids and teenagers, especially if they get a go on the computer racing game.

Hangar 7 in Salzburg

Hangar 7 also has an alter ego as a top foodie destination. The Ikarus restaurant is a top gourmet experience featuring a different international guest chef each month, but we chose to hang out in the Mayday Bar where the food is from the same kitchen and it’s an easy place to lounge around for a drink and an informal meal. The clever concept here is Smart Food where nutritional science meets the culinary artform, resulting in a meal that’s oh so pretty and you can bask in a contented glow knowing it’s all super healthy and making you a better person inside and out.

Choose between 3 set menus with a couple of choices per course and a healthy drink thrown in; there’s Brainfood, Mood food and Beauty food. First big decision – which menu to choose? Not wanting to appear vain, and already being in a relaxed mood I went for the Brainfood menu, although next time I might choose to treat my wrinkled brow to the Beauty menu.

Smart Food at Maybar in Hangar 7 in Salzburg

Smart Food at Maybar in Hangar 7 in Salzburg

I started with pieces of smoked fish topped with salad leaves, followed by a ragu of calves cheek with a swirl of pasta and some foamy sauce on top and the most delicious desert of lomquats on a pistachio ice cream and some praline mousse, swashed down with a healthy fruit smoothie. The food is presented in tall glasses, looking pretty and interesting to be eaten with long forks and spoons.

The set menu comes in at €27 which I thought was good value for such beautifully presented and crafted flavour combinations and you could easily share between two if you just wanted something light. There’s even a book (in German) you can buy about the Smart Food concept with recipes by Head Chef Roland Trettl – Smart Food: Intelligent Essen by Roland Trettl

By day Hangar 7 is family friendly but as night falls it becomes a sophisticated playground for grown ups. As the lights came on at dusk bringing a glow to the curved line of the hangar I thought it would be a great place for a date – not so romantic perhaps but quirky and original with plenty of things to talk about if the conversation lags. If you’re looking for the a change from the Mozart and the Sound of Music and want to tap into the modern, stylish side of Salzburg, Hangar 7 is the place to come and hang out.

Hangar 7, Salzburg Airport, Wilhelm-Spazier-Str. 7A, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

For more information about Holidays in Austria visit the Austrian Tourism Website and follow them on Twitter @Austria_UK

My thanks to the Austria National Tourism Office UK for sponsoring our trip to Salzburg and Wolfgangsee

www.flickr.com    heatheronhertravels’ Austria – Salzburg – Hangar 7 photoset

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Yes folks, today is the Royal Wedding day for Will and Kate. And of course the big question on everyone’s lips is ‘What will the bride wear?’ I can practically guarantee the miles of descriptive prose and full colour magazine pages that will be devoted to every detail of that dress.

Bridal exhibition at Bath Fashion Museum

Perhaps Kate and her dress designer will have taken inspiration from brides of yesteryear, having paid a visit to the exhibition I enjoyed recently at the Fashion Museum in Bath. The ‘What will she wear’ exhibition is a celebration of wedding dresses from the museum’s collections and continues until January 2012, so you’ve no excuse not to visit if you’re looking for design ideas for your own dream wedding dress.

Bridal exhibition at Bath Fashion Museum

The dresses were displayed in no particular order with the bride from the 20s next to the bride of the surprisingly demure 60s although as wedding dresses are often inspired by historic costume it was not so easy to tell them apart. The high necked dress with delicate lace from the 70s looked distinctly Edwardian and the Alexander McQueen dress from 2010 had 18th century panier skirts.

Bridal exhibition at Bath Fashion Museum

If only those cases full of gorgeous gowns could tell their stories; the romance, the fluttering hearts, the courtship, the proposal and finally the big day. For many of those dresses the owners are known and there might even be a newspaper clipping to give the account of the wedding, with full details of what the bride wore. For others, not much is known about the owners. On the walls of the exhibition were formal portraits of elegant and wealthy brides from the 1930s modelling their couture gowns from the House of Worth, in the studio setting surrounded by flowers.

Bridal exhibition at Bath Fashion Museum

Bridal exhibition at Bath Fashion Museum

Fashions for brides have been a reflection of the past and the present. A hundred years ago weddings were held in the morning, so a day dress was worn, but later they came to resemble evening wear with long trains as worn at court. Our teenage girls took it in turn to pick the one that they would choose for their wedding day and the dress above left is my daughter’s favourite. I was married not long after Diana and Fergie and like many brides was influenced by their full skirts, ruffles and lace. Now I think I might like to wear one of those elegant bias cut columns from the 30s. Which one would you choose?

Bridal exhibition at Bath Fashion Museum

Bridal exhibition at Bath Fashion Museum

So what will the bride wear? – we’ll find out soon enough but in the meantime, enjoy these lovely wedding gowns of yesterday.

The What will she wear? exhibition is on display at the Fashion Museum in Bath until 8 January 2012.

Other adventures in Bath

Fancy a dip at the Roman Baths in Bath?
Dressing up at the Fashion Museum in Bath

If you’re looking for a hotel in Bath, compare prices and Book at Hotels Combined

www.flickr.com    heatheronhertravels’ Bath – Fashion Museum photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

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When I was last at the Arden Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon I fell in love with the old fashioned rose patterned tea service from the V & A that they had on display on the oak dresser – in fact I’m in love with the whole idea of English afternoon tea.

Afternoon tea at the Arden Hotel, Stratford

I decided there and then, that when we came back to see the play of Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre just opposite, we would take afternoon tea at the Arden before the performance. It seemed a fitting thing to do in the heart of Stratford, the birthplace of England’s greatest poet and playwright with the old half timbered houses down the lane that Shakespeare might have skipped past as a boy.

Our family party settled down into the leather chesterfield sofas, in the pale green panelled drawing room at one side of the hotel. Through the sash windows, framed by toile de jouy curtains we had a great view of the original Victorian entrance of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, now extended with a modern frontage and tower after a recently completed 4 year redevelopment project.

Our waiter shook the starched white napkins out and laid them on our laps. He was unfazed by my son’s request “Do you have any Ribena ice lollies?” but gamely offered to pop down to the shops to get one.

Our tea was brought – Earl Grey (lemon or milk?) and fruit tea for me. I love those old fashioned cake stands they use with elegant thin cut sandwiches – smoked salmon and cucumber or chicken with salad with brown bread or white (but no crusts of course). On the second cake stand were slices of chocolate and walnut cake with scones to smother with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

Afternoon tea at the Arden Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon

The conversation turned to the play of Romeo and Juliet that we were about to see. My son didn’t really see the point of going to see a play when everyone knows the ending. My father-in-law recalled the time when he saw Sir Ian McKellan dropped his trousers, exposing all, in the mad scene of King Lear and my mother-in-law remembered how at their last visit they had sat in the midst of a group of theatre critics, all scribbling furiously into their notebooks. In between mouthfuls of cake, we debated such weighty questions as how to pronounce the word scone – is it scone as in home or scone as in shone? Apparently it all depends whether you live up north or down south.

The Arden Hotel, Stratford upon Avon

The Arden Hotel, Stratford upon Avon

And so, awash with Earl Grey and brushing the cake crumbs from our lap, we walked all of 2 minutes across the road and into the Royal Shakespeare Theatre to have a look around before the performance. In the shop I was persuaded by my children to fund the purchase of a book of Shakespeare sonnets and a couple of pencils with 2B or not 2B written on the side. We explored the building, from the Transformations exhibition about how the theatre was rebuilt, to the Squidsoup art installation where words that you typed into the computer were added into a swirling word sculpture that was projected on the wall.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford

At the appointed hour we settled into our seats to the side of the stage that jutted out with the audience on three sides, although we had to crane our necks for the balcony scenes as we were seated in the back row. It would be well worth getting a front row seat, and those in the front row had the pleasure of having their photo taken and being compared (unfavourably) to the fair Rosalind, and having Romeo ask their opinion on whether or not he should assault Juliet’s balcony.

Romeo & Juliet Ball scene, Royal Shakespeare Theatre

It was a memorable performance, with a Juliet who was very much the stroppy teenager, an energetic contrast to the dreamy photographer-on-a-bicycle, Romeo, who suddenly forgot all about his camera once he had spotted his new true love. Having once worked in the world of fashion, I was fascinated by the styling of the production, with a range of costumes, from Shakespearean doublet and hose teamed with biker boots, to Vivenne Westwood inspired corsets and taffeta skirts, hitched up into puffballs for the dance scene. The cast went a little wild at the ball with golden sun masks and animalistic leaping to the sound of African drums, with the occasional burst of flames shooting up from the floor.

Romeo & Juliet at the Royal Shakepeare Theatre

By contrast Romeo and Juliet had been shopping on the high street with Juliet in skinny jeans and converse trainers and Romeo in his hoodie and DMs. After a mere 24 hour’s acquaintance, they were married and Juliet was looking forward to getting her new husband into bed. It was such a shame it all had to end so unhappily and as the sleeping Juliet started to wiggle her toes, I was willing her to wake up in time to stop Romeo taking the poison. It’s easy to forget that the world’s best known love story is also a tragedy.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is truly much more than a theatre but a destination experience – and so it should be after the millions that have been spent on it! And our afternoon tea at the Arden Hotel, started us off in just the right frame of mind to enjoy the whole experience.

Sadly, we caught the last performance of Romeo and Juliet, but in the coming months you can also take afternoon tea with the Merchant of Venice or A Midsummer night’s dream – or better still book early for one of the autumn/winter performances and get those front row seats where you can be close enough to feel the actors’ spit on your face. That’s the thrill of live Shakespeare!

The Arden Hotel,Waterside, Straford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire Tel 01789 298682
Visti the The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon

Compare prices and book for the Arden Hotel through Hotels Combined

More to see in Stratford upon Avon

Seasonal and Wild – The Waterside Brasserie at the Arden Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon
The Tower and other transformations at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford
Country House Classic at the Menzies Welcombe Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon

Photo Credits: Romeo and Juliet Photos by Ellie Kurttz from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre website

Just so you know, we were treated to afternoon tea by the Arden but bought our back row seats ourselves.

www.flickr.com    heatheronhertravels’ Stratford-upon-Avon photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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For all train enthusiasts out there, this article from San Diego resident,  Joann Whetstine will give you some family friendly ideas for visitors to San Diego who enjoy everything to do with trains.

San Diego, CA, is chocked full of family-friendly things to do, from its world-famous Zoo, to Sea World, to great beaches.  If you’re looking for something fun for the entire family that is a little more unusual, and you and your youngsters love trains – here are 5 Best Kept Secrets for train lovers visiting San Diego.

1. San Diego Model Railroad Museum

At 28,000 square feet, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum is the world’s largest operating model railroad museum. Located in Balboa Park in the basement floor of a historic building, the unique museum contains four enormous scale and model layouts which depict railroads of the Southwest in O, HO, and N scales. In addition, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum features a Toy Train Gallery with an interactive Lionel layout. Your kids can push buttons to make trains stop and go and just watching the trains run in the beautifully decorated mini-cityscape is a feast for the eyes.

Balboa Park Miniature Railroad ticket office, San Diego

2. Balboa Park Miniature Railroad

While you are in Balboa Park, head on over to the San Diego Zoo about a 5 minute drive north of the Model Rail Road Museum. Tucked off to the left side before the zoo entrance you’ll find the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad. Take a 3-minute, ½-mile trip through four acres of beautiful Balboa Park on a model G16 – antique mini-train. Enjoy the “Burma shave” style signs along the route to make you laugh. This train ride is a treat as the rare G16 model is one of only fifty of this style train currently running in the U.S.

Balboa Park Miniature Railroad, San Diego

3. Poway Midland Railroad

Looking to ride another antique train, but full sized? Head on up the I-15 freeway to the city of Poway, just 30 minutes from San Diego. There, at the Poway Midland Railroad, you’ll find not only a 100+ year old Steam Train, but also a running Trolley train and speeder with gondola cars. A train lover’s delight! Located in the quaint Old Poway Park you’ll find these three trains operational and available to ride on certain weekends:

• 1907 Baldwin 0-4-0 Steam Locomotive and tender pulling a replica 1870 Passenger Coach;
• 1894 Los Angeles Yellow Line Trolley Car;
• 1950 Fairmont Speeder pulling four 1883 Mining Gondola Cars converted for passenger use.

The Poway Midland Railroad, San Diego

4. San Diego Red Car Trolley

Gorilla at Balboa Park Miniature Railroad

San Diego’s Red Car Trolley system is not only inexpensive, but is a fun way to get around town. The system operates three lines, and with over fifty miles of track you can travel just about anywhere in San Diego County, from Old Town to Gillespie Field to the Mexican border.

Tickets cost just $2.50, and on the weekends a family special allows two children 12 and under to ride free with any paying passenger 18 and over. 

5. Santa Fe Depot (Amtrak Train Station)

Otherwise known as the Amtrak Train Station, the Santa Fe Depot is distinctive in its mission-style architecture, and has been taking care of train passengers since 1915. Today the Depot provides Amtrak train service, The Coaster commuter train service, and access to the San Diego Trolley. Enjoy a walk-through of this beautiful historic train station, amid the bustle of arriving and departing trains, or take a fun day trip on The Coaster, up the California coast a ways, and then back to San Diego as you watch a spectacular sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

Another family-friendly tip for your San Diego vacation is to enjoy a San Diego timeshare rental – a budget-friendly way to stay at any number of beautiful San Diego area resorts.

Visitor Information

Accommodation: San Diego Timeshare Rentals
Website – San Diego Model Railroad Museum
Website: Balboa Park Miniature Railroad
Website: Poway Midland Railway
Website: San Diego Red Car Trolley
Website: Amtrak Train Station/ Santa Fe Depot

My thanks for this sponsored post to Redweek.com, where you can find timeshares rentals for your holiday accommodation.

Photo Credits: Joann Whetstine

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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I’m just back from Manchester, where I enjoyed a weekend hanging out in the real world with fellow travel bloggers at Travel Blogger’s Unite. I’ll be telling you what I got up to very soon but in the meantime I wanted to share some pictures from a previous visit, when I explored Manchester’s creative side as a guest of Creative Tourist, the online guide to all things artistic and creative in the city. These were my impressions of Manchester from that visit;

Salford Quays, Manchester

Industrial Heritage

Manchester doesn’t do picturesque, it does a gritty industrial landscape that is full of canals, warehouses and cranes. Manchester made it’s money from mills and making things and now things have come full circle as those canals and warehouses that fell in to decline have been renovated and reinvented as smart apartments and areas for leisure. You’ll see this clearly if you take the metro line out to Salford Quays where we enjoyed visits to the Lowry Arts Centre and the Imperial War Museum that sit on opposite sides of the Manchester Ship Canal, linked by a metal bridge that rises from time to time to let the ships through.

The Lowry in Manchester

LS Lowry at The Lowry Centre

It’s not every artist that has an arts centre named after him, and although you may not know much about LS Lowry, you’ll almost certainly have seen his pictures of matchstick figures hurrying with their collars turned up against the wind, on their way to the factory with smoke billowing from chimneys or hurrying to the football match. Lowry painted what he saw on the streets of Manchester and his work is on show at The Lowry Centre in Salford Quays.

Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester

Manchester’s Creative side

Manchester may be better known for football, nightlife and shopping, but we took the opportunity to explore some of the many free museums that are on offer in the city. At the Imperial War Museum we saw the thought provoking black and white war photography by Don McCullin at the Shaped by War exhibition and listened to the voices of children at war  in the audio-visual presentation in the main exhibition hall.

At the Museum of Science and Industry or MOSI, we were able to press our noses up to the Mona Lisa  without the usual crowds in the Louvre, including the unframed back view of the masterpiece with nail holes and scribbles from past curators. Of course, she wasn’t the real thing, but an extremely detailed photographic copy taken with a special camera that reacreated every tiny detail. Both of these exhibitions have moved on, but you’ll be sure to find other exhibitions to enjoy and plenty of information on the latest artistic happenings on the Creative Tourist Website.

The Northern Quarter in Manchester

Street art and Vintage in the Northern Quarter

The Travel Bloggers Unite Conference was being held in the Northern Quarter which is a real antedote to the sleek, modern designer labels that thrive in the Arndale Centre. Here you’ll find a street vibe of clubs, cafes, and vintage fashion peppered with street art like these tiled cars that we spotted down a side alley. It’s a great place for wandering around, checking out the most interesting and original that Manchester’s artistic community can come up with.

More Manchester memories

Up Close with the Mona Lisa at MOSI in Manchester
Getting to know LS Lowry at the Lowry in Manchester
Street Art and Vintage at the Northen Quarter in Manchester

www.flickr.com   heatheronhertravels’ Manchester photoset

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During our family holiday at Lake Balaton in Hungary, we took a day trip to Keszthely, an elegant resort on the shores of the Lake Balaton where the main tourist attraction is a pretty 18th century palace. The palace was built by the noble Festetics family and extended over a hundred years from 1745, on the site of a ruined castle. The palace is built in the baroque style and reminded me of a French chateau, complete with the ornate parterres behind the palace.

Heather at Festetics palace at Keszthely, Hungary

We arrived at Keszthely in the morning and not being quite sure where to go to find the palace, parked in front of a supermarket and small shops. After walking up a couple of streets, it wasn’t too difficult to find the palace, situated at the end of a long street lined with tourist shops, leading to the wrought iron palace gates at the end. It’s free to enter the palace grounds although you have to pay to get into the palace itself. As the queue was rather long and the children weren’t that bothered, we gave the palace tour a miss but continued past the ticket office and through the arch to the gardens at the back of the palace.

Here we found formal parterres filled with plants and flowers and there was plenty of space to wander around or sit on the grass. After a drink in the small outdoor cafe near a picturesque bridge over the stream, we felt we’d seen enough and walked out of the gates back into the town.

Festetics palace at Keszthely, Hungary

Festetics palace at Keszthely, Hungary

My eye was caught by the sign for the Marzipan museum and as I am a self-confessed Marzipan addict, I led the troops down the side streets following the signs like a bloodhound on the scent.When we arrived I had to admire the entrepreneurial efforts of the owners of this cake shop, that we would  never have sought out had it not been for the proud museum title. Through the cake shop, the ‘museum’ was a room that was packed full of cabinets with ornately iced cakes and marzipan models, including one of the palace we’d just seen. This place would have been a cake decorator’s paradise and my daughter spotted a pink concoction covered with white butterflies that she instantly earmarked for her sweet 16 birthday party.

Marzipan museum at Keszthely, Hungary

Marzipan museum at Keszthely, Hungary

We read some fascinating factoids about the history of marzipan, namely that the German city of Lubeck under siege in the 13th century was saved from starvation when the resourceful bakers gathered together the honey and almonds available, combining them to make a sweet almond bread. Or did you know that a marzipan cake of almonds and honey was distributed in Venice on 25 April, the feast of St Mark,  to help ward off evil and illness following an outbreak of plague?

Marzipan museum at Keszthely, Hungary

Cake at the marzipan museum at Keszthely, Hungary

After the cake decorator’s tour was over we stood in front of the cake counter to choose our marzipan cakes then sat in the small courtyard to eat them with a coffee. If you’d like to have a slice of nice cake then it’s worth seeking out the cake shop, although I think ‘museum’ is a rather grand title. A visit to Keszthely is easily combined with a swim at the nearby thermal lake at Heviz where you can float in the warm water surrounded by water lilies and elderly Hungarians with rubber rings – an experience that was both incongruous and typically Hungarian.

More Tales from Lake Balaton

Thermal springs and rubber rings at Heviz in Hungary
Sour Cherry soup at Salfold near Lake Balaton

Visitor information

Official Hévíz tourism website
Official Keszthely tourism website
We visited Hévíz while staying at Hullam Hostel at Révfülöp on the shores of Lake Balaton
Book Hullam Hostel in Revfulop with Hostel Bookers

www.flickr.com   heatheronhertravels’ Hungary – Lake Balaton photoset

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The area of north west France around Arras is the site of countless battlefields, but one that makes a particularly memorable visit is the Canadian War Memorial and visitor centre at Vimy ridge which we visited while on a recent holiday with Eurocamp.

We were slightly lost as we drove through the French village of Vimy looking for signs to the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.  Suddenly we spotted a four wheel drive with the Canadian maple leaf on the side. “Follow that car!”,  I instructed my husband and it soon led us up a road where pines on either side were set on grassy ground that was strangely undulating. This ground where sheep were now grazing was the spot where on Easter Monday, 1917 all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force had fought the battle for Vimy Ridge. The uneven ground was the remains of trench systems that had long ago collapsed and the grass grown over them.

Vimy Ridge, near Arras, France

Vimy Ridge, near Arras, France

We drew up in the Vimy Ridge visitor centre near a couple of coaches and entered the low red building set among the trees. Inside we wandered around reading the information about what had taken place here at Vimy and at the entrance saw a board with photographs of the fresh young faces of students who were part of the autumn student guide programme, warmly dressed in their green and red uniforms. We watched some of the video playing, describing the renovation project of the white limestone Canadian National Vimy Memorial by Canadian sculptor Walter Seymour Allward. The memorial was completed in 1936 and was opened by King Edward VIII but over the years the wind and rain had taken their toll and so a 3 year renovation project was launch to restore the monument to it’s original pristine glory. They even had to open the quarry in Croatia that had been the source of the original white limestone and the monument was re-dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II in 2007.

Trenches at Vimy Ridge, near Arras,

Vimy Ridge, near Arras, France

As we went outside we wandered through the trench systems preserved with concrete ‘sandbags’ and looked through rifle positions towards the former German lines. At the top of the rise we spotted one of the student guides giving a tour of the grounds and tagged on to the end of it, hoping that we wouldn’t be turned away. The young man was confident and informative as he gave us the facts of the battle and took us around the different parts of the site, ending with a walk through one of the underground tunnels that were used to move soldiers up to the front lines. Unfortunately the tour would only allow 25 people underground as I was the 26th I volunteered to stay above ground, taking photos while the rest of my family went through and saw the different rooms leading off the tunnels.

At Vimy Ridge memorial, near Arras, France

I was so impressed with this young man that I ran after him when the tour finished hoping to shoot some video of him talking about the Vimy battle site, but he was about to take another tour underground and couldn’t stop at that point. The student guides spend 4 months in France, living locally and showing visitors around the site of trenches and tunnels as well as manning the visitor centre. We learned later that there are regular tours around the site that are free and can be booked in the visitor centre.

Vimy Ridge memorial, near Arras, France

Vimy Ridge memorial, near Arras, France

After our tour we moved on to the towering Canadian war memorial itself on the high ground just up the road. This ridge was a strategic spot to be fought over as the high ground gives a view over the surrounding countryside. The memorial is build of stark white limestone with twin towers and statues at the base and at the top of each tower, representing the sympathy of Canada for the dead and the desire for peace in the future. On the East side is a large figure of sorrowing Mother Canada, looking out over the Douai plain that was fought over so fiercely, and around the sides of the monument are carved the names of those Canadians killed in France with no known grave.

Vimy Ridge memorial, near Arras, France

Although the terrain was rolling rather than hilly, this piece of high ground was important to be won and the battle of Vimy ridge became a symbol of Canadian unity and achievement due to the way that all four divisions fought successfully together.

What a wonderful opportunity for those Canadian students I thought, to live and work together in France for 4 months in a place where in a different generation at a different time, they might have been the soldiers in those same trenches and tunnels,  fighting for this spot of land. What an imaginative way to inspire the students participanting in this scheme with a pride in their nation’s achievements at the same time as educating them in the horrors that war will bring.

If you’ve participated in the Canadian Student Guide program at Vimy or the other monuments in northern France, I’d love to hear how you found the experience. We really enjoyed our visit to Vimy Ridge and our children also found it fascinating to hear the stories and run through the trenches and feel a little of what war is really like.

Visitor Information

Visitor information and hours of Operation at Vimy Ridge

Information about the Canadian National Vimy Memorial

Information about the Student guide program at Vimy and other sites in France

We visited Vimy Ridge while a guest of Eurocamp at the holiday parc at La Croix du Vieux Pont at Berny Riviere. The parc is ideal for a family holiday, set in beautiful countryside and with many sports facilities and entertainments on site. It will take around 2 hrs to drive from the parc to Vimy near Arras, or it would make an ideal stop on the route between Calais and Berny Riviere.

More things we enjoyed in Northern France

The Eiffel Tower – Icon of Paris or tourist trap?
Visiting our Great Uncle’s grave at Arras – thoughts for Armistice Day
Our supercalifragilistic day at the Magical kingdom of Disneyland Paris

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ France – Battlefields and cemeteries in Aisne photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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What do you do with all your iconic communist statues when they’re no longer welcome in the squares and parks of central Budapest? At Memento Park they’ve found a great solution – banish them to the outskirts of the city and make them into a prime tourist attraction.

At Memento park outside Budapest, Hungary

We visited Memento Park after our first day in Budapest on the way to Lake Balaton – there is a bus that goes there from Deák Square once a day but it’s much easier to reach by car. After the fall of communism in Hungary in 1990, the city council agreed that the statues of the communist era ahould be moved to a statue park and a design competition was held that was won by a young architect, Ákos Eleőd. His design encapsulated a philosophical message about the Communist era in an imposing brick facade with little substance behind it and ending in a wall, symbolising a road that leads to nowhere.

At Memento Park near Budapest

We decided to take an English guided tour which was well worth it to hear all the little stories behind each statue – it’s easy to forget that young Hungarians now in their 20s grew up under communism and were ‘little drummers’ and ‘pioneers’ as school children, enjoying summer camps and groups activities while soaking up the communist ideaology. The flag carrying Soviet soldier once stood on Gellert Hill on the Buda side, overlooking the whole city, guarding the female figure with a palm branch that stood above it, symbolising Hungarian liberty, which obviously could not do without her Soviet protector. In 1990 the Soviet soldier and the communist star above him were removed and the guide joked that the girl was quite pleased to get rid of her overprotective boyfriend.

At Memento Park near Budapest

Our guide pointed out the symbolism of other statues such as the memorial of Hungarian-Soviet friendship, where the sculptor managed to encapsulate the inequal relationship between the two parties – the military Russian figure more imposing and reserved, extending only one hand, while the civilian dressed Hungarian figure is offering two hands in a more genuine hope of friendship. At the entrance you’ll find the statue of Engels standing behind his mentor, Marx and in the park the statue of Lenin, with hand outstetched that once stood at the entrace to a factory, exhorting the workers to do their best. The sculpure of hands are containing the fragile ball of communism, offering it to everyone and the red communist star that was once found everywhere is now only seen in the flower bed at the centre of the park.

At Memento Park near Budapest

At Memento Park near Budapest

At the entrance to the park there were some entertaining exhibits in a phone box where you could get a ‘hot line’ to listen to the voices of various communist leaders and an old Trabant car that you could pose by to have your photo taken, for nostalgia value. The only leader that has been banished completely is Stalin who was so reviled after his death that his enormous statue was pulled down, leaving only his boots that now sit on top of the plinth opposite the entrance to the park. We also sat and watched an extremely spooky communist training film for secret agents, showing you how to covertly film suspects or follow them unobserved. I’ll be highly suspicious of people who place their large bag or briefcase on a cafe table near me in future. in case it contains a hidden camera.

If you’d like to see more of the statues at Memento park, do take a look at the slide show below.

I’d highly recommend a visit to Memento path and our children really enjoyed it too, especially hearing on the guided tour about the history of communism that stood behind the statues, and watching the secret agent film. May be they’d have rather enjoyed being Pioneers and Little Drummers too.

The entrance cost was 1000 HUF (aprox £3, €3.50, $4.50) per adult and the guided tour was 1200 HUF  per person but look out for discount vouchers in your hotel or you can also use the Budapest card for a 30% discount.

While visiting Budapest we stayed at Art’Otel Budapest

Compare prices and book Art’Otel Budapest with Hotels Combined

More Budapest Articles to enjoy

Relaxed Indian style at Mandragora Boutique Hostel, Budapest
Sour cherry soup at Salföld in Hungary
A Postcard from Budapest

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Budapest – Memento Park photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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With the school holidays almost over, it’s time to start planning some autumn fun, and my sponsored post from discountvouchers.co.uk has excellent suggestions for a short autumn break for the family in Paris, France.

France is the most visited country in the world, with over 78 million tourists passing through per year, and for good reason. From east to west and north to south, family friendly France combines it all. Culture and castles; architecture and art; fashion and fabulous food, plus great skiing and hiking in the Alps.

Jardins du Luxembourg in autumn

France also has a charming and captivating riviera complete with Roman ruins in the south; beautiful cities, magnificent wine to drink, and impressive hills to the east; a rugged coastline, beautiful cities and Celtic remains in the west, and the flatlands along the English Channel in the north. Although it’s often considered to be an expensive country to visit,  the entire country including Paris, can be an affordable and fun trip for the family, especially when visited for a short break in spring or autumn.

Getting There and Around

UK tourists visiting France can arrive  by air via inexpensive UK-based carriers. There are also economical rail options if you plan ahead and taking a car is also possible via the Channel Tunnel or the ferry companies. Low-cost and no frill charters that fly to France from UK destinations include Ryanair, Easyjet and First Choice. First Choice offers low cost daily fares and a selection of First Choice discount codes can be found online for extra savings. Be sure to locate First Choice discount vouchers before booking a flight with this carrier.

River sightseeing in Paris on the Batobus by HelloParis

Saving money on Parisian attractions

Visiting breathtaking sites does not have to break the bank. Free and low cost attractions to visit in Paris include the River Seine, the spectacular Notre Dame de Paris basilica, the Arc de Triomphe, weekly fashion shows in front of Lafayette department store on Fridays, and the Fragonard Perfume Museum. Get around by cruising along the Seine, or let the water sightseeing Batobus take the family to eight different stops along the bank. Ascending the Eiffel Tower will come at a cost, but admiring the architectural masterpiece from below is free.

The Louvre in Paris

The best of Parisian art and rich history is housed in the city’s many museums and galleries that are a top destination for tourists. Anyone interested in visiting galleries and museums should purchase a Paris Museum Pass, which covers more than 60 museums, including the world-renowned Louvre, Napoleon’s Tomb and Sainte-Chapelle. Be sure to verify which museums are covered and purchase a pass prior to your arrival in Paris.

Family Friendly Museums

Musée de la Poupée in Paris

Paris is often thought of as a romantic break destinations, but there are many attractions, some lesser known, that cater for families and which younger children will especially enjoy. The Musée de la Poupée, or Doll Museum, is a site of wonder and features an antique doll collection of over 400 dolls that were made in the last 200 years. The Musée de la Magie is another site to consider visiting, which offers exciting magical antiques. The live magic show and illusions in this subterranean museum are sure to impress both adults and children alike.

Family friendly activities

Disneyland resort, Paris

An afternoon of autumn sunshine is the perfect setting for a traditional Parisian style picnic in Luxembourg Park, the country’s largest park. Alternatively, any time of year is ideal to visit Aquaboulevard, the largest indoor European water park that is maintained at a comfortable temperature of 29 degrees Celsius year-round. And of course, if you are visiting Paris, no family should miss out on a day spent at Disneyland Paris, a mere 30 km away from the capital.

Visitor resources

To keep down the cost of your family autumn break, do check out the travel discount vouchers available at discountvouchers.co.uk
Notre Dame de Paris cathedral website – see the historic cathedral in the heart of Paris
Fragonard Perfume Museum – in a beautiful townhouse, a collection of perfumery objects to take you through the ages
Batobus – for your river tour of the Paris sights on the River Seine
Louvre - the must see art gallery of Paris
The Paris Museum Pass – visit over 60 museums and monuments in and around Paris with one ticket
Musée de la Poupée – discover an enchanting childhood world of collectable dolls
Musée de la Magie – A glimpse into the magical world of illusions
Aquaboulevard – huge family water park for making a splash
Disneyland Resort Paris – become a child again where dreams come true

Photo Credits: River sightseeing in Paris on the Batobus by Hello Paris ,The Louvre in Paris by Al lanni , Musée de la Poupée in Paris by spiritsdancing , Disneyland resort, Paris by webast

Other city breaks you may enjoy

Our 36 hours in Berlin
05 An autumn weekend in Lisbon – Podcast Episode 5
08 Valencia in the Springtime – podcast

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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