Travelling allsorts

A post-hurricane, pre-Christmas trip to Florida was very pleasant: ten days of sunshine with temperatures in the high 20s Celcius. Shopping We took a small suitcase each plus one empty one, so our first outing was a trip to one of the Designer Outlets just off the i-4, to buy our holiday clothes and save at least 50% off original $ prices. It wasn't quite straightforward as many shops were stocking for the 'cold' winter to come. Always a plethora of T-shirts and a good choice of sports shoes, though. Theme Parks Not too busy. Having avoided Disney parks during our previous visit, we spent two days exploring Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom - this time, we took the Jeep Safari in the dark and it was worth it! The animals, especially the lions, were more active at night than during the hot days. In the Studios park, we also enjoyed the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. We spent two days at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, our favourite theme...

Our first visit to Bruges for almost 30 years - yet it's so close and easy to drive to! It was a last minute decision, based on having a free weekend coming up, that promised to be sunny and warm. So we hit the internet and booked our ferry and hotel! We drove to Dover, sailed to Dunkirk, and were in Bruges / Brugge less than an hour after docking. We stayed near the centre in a quaint hotel (Martin's Relais Hotel) which was perfect for the weekend - we had our own front door which led to the room above a small garage (possibly a former stable). On leaving the hotel's courtyard and turning left, we were a few steps from a couple of small cafés which faced Jan Van Eyck place, complete with statue and a bench that was featured in a scene in the film 'In Bruges'. The bench faces a canal which is now home to a large blue whale, made from recycled plastic rubbish (see the photographs at the end of this post). From here, we could walk along canal paths, taking ...

How lucky we are! Our friends rented a house in the Pyrenees and invited us along when their daughter had to drop out at the last minute.  We flew from Stansted to Lourdes and spent a couple of hours wandering around this interesting spa town before meeting with our friends who had driven south from their home in north-west France.  We were staying in Cauterets, a spa town at the foot of a ski resort, a short walk from the cable car which went to the small ski resort. It's less expensive and less crowded that the Alps, perfect for a long weekend. For non-skiers, the cable car ride is spectacular and there is a large snack bar/restaurant to sit and watch the activities. In the town, there are restaurants (of course) and thermal baths.

We went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival again, which we love! Whilst in Bonnie Scotland, we decided to visit the Falkirk Wheel, which had been recommended to us for a day trip. It's an incredible piece of engineering. Set in the middle of nowhere, where two canals attempt to meet (except for a few metres, vertically) so this high-tech lock assists the canal boats, enabling them to continue their journey. Two narrow boats can be loaded each side so that two go up and two go down. There is a charge - quite reasonable - for this service. On site is a café, shop, playground, picnic area, water-based activities and walks. From the wheel, at the lower canal (pictured), there is a footpath to the higher canal where there is also a shortish tunnel that you can walk through (maybe take a torch for this). Take a look at this short video.     The Clyde-Forth canal joins the West and East coasts of Scotland.

Despite planning to tour the South of France in a Campervan , we ended up taking a self-catering autumn break in Provence . We stayed in a gite in the countryside, not far from the town of Sainte-Maximin, next door to where Nico Rosberg grew up. Indeed, there is a nearby racing circuit, Paul Ricard, and close to this is Le Castellet - the views from here are amazing, especially at sunset. Link to Google map . Scroll beyond these photographs for Aix and Monaco... Verdon Gorge and lake Photographs of and from Le Castellet We visited the centre (and surrounding backstreets with historical significance) of Aix-en-Provence .  On the coast, visit the ports of Le Lavandou, La Favière, Bandol (see photographs below): Of course, the obligatory visit to Monaco , where the Prince's classic automobiles - and a few others, incuding F1 cars - were on display in one of the exhibitions (not the stamps and money exhibition, in a building opposite). For a refreshing change, here is a set of photog...

Traditional architecture in Malta and Gozo seems dominated by balconies. They are fascinating. We were pleasantly surprised by the nice beaches to be found. Many years ago, friends who returned fom Malta had enjoyed their visits but gave the impression that it was little more than a rock full of concrete - how wrong that image is! We were based on Gozo and spent only one day on Malta but saw enough to think that we may return for a proper visit. Gozo is small enough to tour in a couple of days (we spend a good couple of hours at the splendid Citadel and visited a couple of beaches just to take in the views) so unless you want to chill, Malta has significantly more to do.

Paris at Christmas is, of course, magical. We stayed a short train ride to the east - near Coulommiers, with its lovely park and many other places of interest (hidden in various back streets). The town is surrounded by chateaux, local cheese-makers (specialising in Brie) and champagne vineyards; nearby water activities are available in the summer and Disneyland-Paris is easily accessible. On Christmas Eve we took the train to Paris, visiting the Sacre Coeur and Monmartre, with its artists and restaurants. Knowing the area quite well, we then strolled around, taking in the Parisian architecture, the Moulin Rouge and the bridge from the film, Inception. Just along the Seine from here, you can also stroll along the middle of the river to a small version of the Statue of Liberty. As evening arrived, we glimpsed the Eiffel Tower and made our way through affluent streets to the Champs Elysees, eating pizza then visiting the Christmas market.      The weather was gloomy at time...