6th to the 11th of August 2024
We had an awesome day with Maree’s X in-laws. Tom and Val really treated us to a great day showing us their local sights. Firstly we visited Tintern Abbey, then off to The Boat Inn pub. The Boat Inn is Maree’s favourite pub and it’s easy to see why. It’s very small with a beautiful river flowing down between hills of green. Next they showed us around Monmouth. Tom and Val have lived in the small town of Monmouth all their lives, listening to them talking about the history they have there was very special. Lastly we went up to a look-out with a spectacular view. The world is full of awesome people and it’s been our privilege to know two more.
Gillie was chasing information on her Mother’s cousin who flew Sunderland’s out of Pembroke Doc during the war. We walked into the Penbroke Heritage centre and Gillie spoke to the first guy, we were buying tickets from about what she was looking for and for the next 2 hours she had volunteers finding her info, calling other experts, etc. Gillie had a blast.
Over 1000 British motorcycles with over 850 on display. 170 different British manufacturers.
22 July 2024
Some the sights of Cambridge. One think I didn’t know is that Cambridge University is actually a 31 colleges that are combined to make the university.
17th July
The IWM is an operational airfield with a list of very very large hangers full of planes. To give you an idea of size the hanger area is about 1.5km long
This is a short piece of dashcam video showing the Eurotunnel process. The French call it Le Shuttel.
8th July 2024
Gill wanted to visit the Menin Gate and my great, great uncle’s grave site. The Menin Gate is totally covered in scaffolding at the moment, So I’v upload a picture off the web below.
At the Menin Gate they have a ceremony every day at 8:00 pm where they play the last post and lay a wreath. The day we were there, my guess was there was somewhere around 500 plus people. They have been doing this every day since 2nd July 1927.
The Menin Gate was packed inside and out with people. I thought I’d upload our video as is.
We took a bus from the campsite into Regensburg train station where Andy and Alina were waiting for us. We all hopped on a train and went 9/10th of the way and then on a bus to get to Kelheim. Kelheim is a beautiful small town about 25km away from Regensburg. We looked around the old town, then took a tourist Toot train up the hill to see a monument. The monument was built by King Ludwig to remember the defeat of Napoleon. Toot train back down to the Danube river for a ferry ride through a rocky gorge to an old monastery that had a small church and a large beer garden in the courtyard.
For dinner we caught up with one of Andy’s friends “Andy calls him the coolest German” and I think he is correct.
The following day, it was Regensburg’s old town, the cathedral, glass museum, etc. Then dinner with a different friend “Paula” …an amazing lady!
An absolute awesome few days, with the greatest of friends.
25th June
Arrived in Grindelwald on the Sunday the 23rd with clouds covering the mountains. There was to be a festival here that was cancelled because of the bad weather. So all the people left and it’s been nice and sunny for the rest of our stay.
First day we took the cable car up Schrekfeld to “first”. 1,950 meters
Second day we took the train up to Jungfraujoch “Top of Europe” 3,454 meters, then the train back down as far as Eigergletsher 2,320 meter for lunch and then final the cable car back down to Grindelwald.
Third day we went over Maennlichen
The lake area is one of the most beautiful spots in France……when it’s now raining. We had two day and got a morning without rain…Say La Vie.
17th June
We wanted to see Montserrat and the Cava region, so we decided to take a guided tour that did both in the same day. It was a really great day….parking at Montserrat is impossible and I done think I should drive while doing a Cava tour.
So we rented a hotel in Barcelona and did the tour on one day and seen the Sagrada Familla on the next day.
11th to 13 June 2024
We went to another flamenco show…and OMG I’m glade we did. The dance style was very different, still very powerful. They said the performers are from a gypsy cave group. The show was in the building built into the side of the mountain, the performance was raw and power. Attitude plus some. Loved it.
The guy on the guitar was extremely good, fingers that really moved. You could feel the sound in the small cave room, no amp but with the stone walls they didn’t need it.
The language of music and dance is universal, especially beautiful, it unites peoples from different cultures and places.
No videoing was allowed so my vid is all stills…So you’ll have to imagine their feet going a million miles an hour.
WOW this place is huge, Alhambra is a fortress palace, Spain’s number one tourist attraction. About 3m people a year visit the place or about 10,000 per day.
8th June
In Cordoba there is a number of great places to visit. The old royal stables where they now have a Spanish riding school, a Roman built bridge with the original gates at either end, the alcazar that is the old royal palace…mostly all that is left is the gardens and a little bit of the original palace, old town with its twisting little alleyways, etc..
But what I really came to see was the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba and I was not disappointed. I think it’s the most amazing structure I’ve ever seen, the architecture, the culture significance, religious significance and just how beautiful it is. The site originally was a Roman Temple, then the Christians built over it a Visigoth church, then the Moors took Cordoba and split it in two for both Christians and Muslims in 711. In 784 it was destroyed and they started work on the mosque and continue building for over 2 centuries and finally completed in 987. Then in 1236 Cordoba was recaptured by a Christian King and he start rebuilding a synagogue in the middle of the mosque, and he never demolished the mosque. So we end up with a cathedral sort of built in the middle of a mosque. Today the site is as significant to both Islamic and Christian faiths. While we were there we saw people from both faiths.
I’ve done two videos, one of the Mosque-Cathedral and another for the rest. Hope you enjoy Cordoba as much as I did.
See if you like my take of music for the cultural mix
4th of June
Ronda is 750 meters above sea level on a high plateau. It’s a natural fortress location. The town has a huge gorge that cuts the town in half. In the 15th century a stone bridge was built joining the town…very pretty place with incredible views.
I also thought I’d do a video on the park where we’re staying, Give you a look at how hard we’re doing it….!
2nd June
We crossed the border into English held Gibraltar today and took the cablecar to the top of the rock of Gibraltar.
Hope you enjoy the video.
Wishing on a postcard, that you were here with me.