Category: Historical places

Easter Roadtrip 2025: Terrific Tuscany, Italy

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From Roman Ruins to Tuscan Magic

We covered some serious ground on our latest leg—about 600 km heading north through Italy!

The journey included another UNESCO stop, some wild weather, and even a surprise Lamborghini police car. Here’s a look at our latest adventures, from ancient ruins to picture-perfect Tuscan towns.

A Rainy Detour into Roman Grandeur: Hadrian’s Villa, Tivoli

From our last campsite in Puglia, we made the long journey north towards Tuscany, with a leg stretch stop just outside Rome, at the ruins of Villa Adriana (Hadrian’s Villa) in Tivoli—a UNESCO World Heritage Site that completely exceeded expectations. This sprawling Roman complex once belonged to Emperor Hadrian, and walking through it today feels like stepping into a piece of ancient opulence. The remaining walls tower above you, hinting at what must’ve been an extraordinarily grand and luxurious retreat. We spent just over 2 hours exploring the site which worked well as a leg stretch. Happily the horrendous rain we’d encountered on our journey so far paused during our visit too.

Just before we arrived at Tivoli, something truly surreal happened: we were overtaken by an Italian police car—but not just any police car. A Lamborghini. Flashing lights and all, it pulled up beside us in full dramatic fashion. Turns out, the Italian police actually use Lamborghinis for transporting organs and emergencies—isn’t that amazing! Certainly the poshest emergency vehicle we’ve ever seen!

Tuscany Welcomes Us—with a Proposal!

After Tivoli, we continued north, hoping for those iconic Tuscan views to greet us, and the rain which had restarted to stop once more —and we were not disappointed. The rain stopped, and the rolling hills and golden light welcomed us practically the second we turned off the motorway! The views were everything we’d imagined. Our destination was Pienza, another UNESCO-listed gem perched high on a cliff, overlooking the Val d’Orcia countryside.

The road up to Pienza

We rolled in late (for us!) and found a perfect overnight spot—just €6 for a car park right next to the old town.

As we settled in and walked into a bar with panoramic views, something magical happened.

First, the French man took this photo of us…..

A French traveler, who had just taken a photo for us, asked if we could film something. Moments later, he was down on one knee, proposing to his girlfriend—right in front of us.

What a place for a proposal
The view from our bar terrace
A magical evening (this was taken seconds before the proposal)

It was completely spontaneous, incredibly romantic, and yes—she said yes! We toasted with champagne with the couple, who we enjoyed getting to know, and couldn’t believe our luck to witness such a beautiful moment! What a welcome to Tuscany. We wish Jérémy and Alexandra all the very best ❤️

We spent the rest of the evening wandering through Pienza, soaking in its charm. The quiet streets, warm light, and sweeping views over the Val d’Orcia made it feel like a scene from a postcard. It’s without a doubt one of Tuscany’s true gems.

Day Two: From Movie Scenes to Medieval Streets

After such a dreamy first day, Tuscany kept the magic coming. We had a short drive ahead—just 75 miles—but with a few important missions: a visit to the vet for Jazz (our dog) and a trip to see one of our favorite film locations.

Driving through the Val d’Orcia, we passed the landscape made famous by Gladiator—specifically the villa and fields of Maximus’ farm and farm house. The sweeping countryside really does feel cinematic, and we could see how it inspired Ridley Scott.

From Gladiator: Russell Crowe’s farm land
And his farm house

We arrived at our campsite near San Gimignano, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a chilled afternoon at the van (aka Trattoria Gandolfino after some delicious pasta meals recently cooked inside), we strolled into town just before sunset.

The campsite was a great strategic position for visiting San Gimignano, as it was on the outskirts, so nice and quiet, but had a shuttle running to and from town every half an hour for €1.30 pp. There is also a pavement the whole walk into town and the roads were quiet enough for bikes too. We made use of the shuttle!

San Gimignano is famous for its medieval towers, and the 14th-century frescos in its cathedral have their own UNESCO status, and are some of the most complete we’ve seen.

We ended our evening with wild boar sausages and local wine—Tuscan living at its finest.

While we both slightly preferred Pienza for its romantic charm, San Gimignano held its own as a must-visit spot.

Final Stop: Fabulous Florence!

Visiting Florence was a certainty, but we hadn’t decided how we were going to do it. I think we both thought we make use of one of the sostas on the outskirts rather than the more expensive campsite at Florence. However, when we arrived at our campsite at San Gimignano, it became obvious that actually we could travel to Florence as a day trip using public transport from there. Although the journey would take nearly 2 hrs each way, we’d save time on van packing up, driving and re setting up. Plus being Easter weekend, we weren’t confident we’d even get a space at Florence. So, timetables were poured over, and a plan was made. Florence via public bus from San Gimignano.

On arrival into the bus station, we made our way to the cathedral and we were instantly blown away. The Duomo is absolutely breathtaking, a true architectural masterpiece.

We followed the Rick Steves audio tour of Renaissance Florence which was wonderful and a great way to tackle the city.

The views of the cathedral and the city from the Rose garden beneath Piazzale Michelangelo were outstanding.

And yes, we found (and loved) the famous wine windows—tiny historical quirks that let you order wine through little hatches in the wall. Genius!

Florence is now officially one of our top cities—majestic, romantic, and full of surprises at every turn.

Golden Hills & Slow Moments: We fell for Tuscany

Tuscany had a way of sweeping us off our feet—with its golden hour hills, small and charming medieval towns, and the way life seems to slow down just enough to savour every moment. From spontaneous proposals to cinematic landscapes and the comfort of pasta shared in the van, this leg of our journey reminded us why we love life on the road. As we roll on to our next destination, we’re carrying with us full hearts, full bellies, and a growing love for this enchanting corner of Italy.

Easter Road Trip 2025: Exploring Pompei and the surrounding area

Posted in 2025 Trips, Historical places, Italy1 Comment

Hi from Pompeii!

We’ve arrived at a gorgeous little campsite just outside the town—tucked among orange trees with breathtaking views of Mount Vesuvius. Tickets are booked for tomorrow’s big adventure…

Excitement level: THROUGH. THE. ROOF.

Thursday – Exploring Pompeii

What. A. Day.

After 8 solid hours on foot and over 10 miles exploring the ancient ruins of Pompeii, I’m absolutely blown away. “Superb” doesn’t even come close. It’s still sinking in that I actually drove us all the way here from Norfolk in Gandalf… and now I’ve finally set foot in the ancient city I’ve dreamed about for years.

We wandered what felt like every single road and alleyway, soaking it all in—the city’s layout still so clear nearly two thousand years on.

The brothel had us howling (those murals/menus! And the beds!), while the theatre and amphitheatre were stunning.

We stepped into old taverns, imagined the hum of ancient life, and then stood silently before the plaster casts of those who didn’t make it out—deeply moving and unforgettable.

From the ruts worn into stone by ancient chariots to vivid wall paintings and graffiti, every inch of Pompeii tells a story. Just incredible. A day I’ll remember forever.

Refreshment stop en route back to campsite!

Friday – A Day Trip to Naples

We hopped on a train from our peaceful Pompei base to immerse ourselves in the vibrant chaos of Naples—the birthplace of pizza!

Armed with an audio guide, we roamed the historic, UNESCO-listed city, making stops for incredible pasta, warm sfogliatella from a tucked-away bakery, the oldest gelato in town, and finally, a legendary pizza at Naples’ oldest pizzeria. Every bite was better than the last (and yes, our bellies definitely felt it by the end).

We returned to Gandalf in a blissful, carb-filled haze.

Naples is bold, flavour-packed, and full of life. The food? Unforgettable. The graffiti? Not so much our taste.

Fun pizza fact:

The Margherita pizza as we know it today was born here in the late 1800s, created to honour Queen Margherita of Savoy. Its red (tomato), white (mozzarella), and green (basil) ingredients mirror the Italian flag.

Saturday – Capri Adventure

We extended our stay in Pompeii one last time to squeeze in a trip to Capri—and wow, what a day.

We took the train to Sorrento, then hopped on a high-speed ferry to the island.

While many head straight for the luxury shops and celebrity-studded restaurants, we made a beeline for the funicular and followed a popular hiking trail to the ruins of Emperor Tiberius’s old holiday home—Villa Jovis. Perched high above the sea, the views were outstanding, and the history was just as captivating. The trail, although mainly uphill for the 2km, was a on a good surface throughout and was also very well signposted. It also gave a great opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle and take a closer look at some of the exquisite villas on the back streets.

We enjoyed a delicious homemade sandwich with mozzarella, tomato and prosciutto from a deli on the route back down to the town, and of course a limoncello spritz and limoncello gelato whilst on the island.

Back in Sorrento, we wandered the charming lemon-scented streets and enjoyed one final, glorious Italian pasta meal before heading back to camp, hearts full.

Here’s how we did it:

🚆 Train from Villa Regina to Sorrento – €3 | ~45 mins 🚶‍♀️ 10-minute walk to Sorrento harbour

⛴️ Ferry to Capri – €26 pp each way | Fast, scenic & 100% worth it

🚊 Funicular up to Capri town – 3 mins (or walk, bus, or taxi as alternatives)

Sunday – Moving On

Before saying goodbye to Pompeii, we visited Herculaneum. We took the van as we were moving on afterwards however this easily could be reached by train from the campsite.

Though smaller than Pompeii, its ruins are incredibly well-preserved—with taller, more intact buildings. Highlights included the ancient bakery oven and a beautiful shell mosaic, offering a totally different perspective to what we’d seen in Pompeii.

Our Base for our time in Pompeii: Villa Julia Camping

€36 per night (incl. electricity)

Spacious pitches set among fragrant orange trees, with a stunning view of Vesuvius.

Facilities: hot showers, washing up, laundry area.

Highly recommend—an excellent site!

Where to next? You’ll have to wait a couple of days til our next post! Alternatively, don’t forget that we’re on Polarsteps so you can follow us on there for real time updates. Click here for Polarsteps

Walking Hadrians Wall- with a Campervan as your accommodation and transport! Part 4

Posted in 2024 Trips, Hadrians Wall Path, Historical places, Northumbria4 Comments

Day 8

Banks to Bleatarn Farm

8 miles

Today was a “move the van” day, so we were up and on fairly promptly. Happily we managed to buy some local sausages from Hadrians Wall campsite before we left – ideal for bangers and mash tea tonight!

After moving the van along about 30 mins we arrived at Bleatarn Farm campsite (prearranged early arrival 🙏 ) at 11am, before our cab collected us at 11:15 (we’ve mastered a 10 min set up now 💪 ) to take us back to Banks, where we finished yesterday.

Our 8 miles today were fairly bland in views compared to previous days- however we saw the highest section of wall along the whole trail- sitting at 3metres high in its day it would have been 4.5 metres high which is staggering.

We also had some nice countryside views, and lots of livestock fields and farms. We passed 3 honesty sheds with supplies for weary walkers in, with various items ranging from a kettle and tea bags to full blown microwave and freezer ready meals! All very nice but we’re getting weary now as we near the end of the trek!

The weather kept dry for us which was nice- although it was much cooler. It’s lashing down now (overnight) though!

We’re staying at Bleatarn farm which so far has been wonderful. The farmer’s 12 year old daughter had us mesmerised this evening as she helped her dad build a shed next to our pitch which became her “Honesty Snack shed”. We watched her fill it with goodies, make and attach her signs and it was very cute! We commented to her and her dad how impressed we were with her entrepreneurial spirit and they asked if we had any suggestions of items. Currently it has milk, bacon, tea and coffee bags, pot noodles, crisps, hair bubbles etc etc. We said blister plasters- to their great enthusiasm! 10 mins later the girl came and knocked on our van door in the rain and brought Keith a box of blister plasters from their family medicine box. How cute! We were both weary tonight but that little act of cuteness and entrepreneurial spirit gave us a much needed lift!

The end is in sight. Will our legs and blistered feet hold out! stay tuned! 🤞

PS the sausage and mash went down a treat!

Day 9

Bleatarn Farm to Burgh on Sands

14.5 miles on the wall path today

Only 8 miles to go tomorrow!

I can’t believe it! We’re almost there!

Today we marched like a Roman army to Beaumont to the w of Carlisle (12.5 miles) to find our end point for today which was a pub was closed! So of course, we carried on for another 1.75 miles practically in our knees to get to the pub in Burgh on Sands where we received a very warm welcome indeed.

Today’s route was relatively smooth and flat. The first 6 miles flew by and we were crossing the M6 and skirting Carlisle before we knew it.

From Carlisle the route became green again, following the river Eden through fields of livestock and up and down river gauges. The humidity today was high which made it hard going but we skirted the rain all day which pleased us hugely.

Reaching the pub was a wonderful moment and we quickly sank a couple of pints each!

Radio Taxis provided a chariot back to Gandalf at Bleatarn and we were soon tucking into a delicious campfire stew which had been cooking in the slow cooker all day.

Tomorrow is the last stretch of the Hadrians Wall path. We’ve got a move the van morning first so stay tuned to see how we get on!

Day 10 (or 9.5 as I like to call it!)

Burgh on Sands to Bowness on Solway

8 miles

An early start beckoned as I’d promised Keefy a bacon and egg bap before we departed on what we hoped to be our last day of the walk.

Breakfast delivered, van packed away and then off we went towards Bowness on Solway, what would be our final point of the walk.

We’d pre booked Bowness on Solway camping and they let us onto our pitch early, which enabled us ti catch the 10:30 bus back to Burgh on Sands where we finished yesterday.

By 11am we were walking our last 8 miles on the trail.

We were exhausted but anticipation and excitement kept our legs moving. The first 4 miles was along the road we’ve driven along, but the route followed the course of the Roman wall still and the views across the Solway Firth were lovely.

We passed Drumburgh castle which although looks more like a farm or Manor House, sits on the site of a tower which would have been on Hadrians Wall.

As we neared the end I could feel my emotions bubbling up to the surface. How possibly had we made it this far- my foot problems have been non existent this entire walk. How can that be? Keith has mammoth blisters but soldiered on. How did he do it? Jazz- our OAP dog showed no sign of his age whatsoever and was still pulling us into the pub with the energy of a version of himself from the start of the walk! How the heck did we walk for 10 days solid in Northern England without needing our waterproofs once? I’ll never know but I’ll be forever grateful that this moment in time was able to happen and that the plantets aligned to enable us to complete this epic adventure.

We simply had THE BEST TIME and I’ll always be so proud of what we achieved!

When we turned the corner of course I sobbed and sobbed. We spent the afternoon in the pub cheering on others who had finished and sharing the excitement of those about to start.

We didn’t think much at all to the campsite. It was overpriced – £30 to park in the car park and extra £7.50 for electric. The showers were good but dirty. And don’t start Keith off on the door to the loo block which wouldn’t close and the squeak of it in the wind kept Keith awake for most of the night! He closed it at 4am, unable to bare it any longer but of course whoever next went in let it swing open again!

However all those things aside, the location was perfect and we had such a great time celebrating our achievement in Bowness on Solway.

Logistics for this stage below 👇

Logistics

Day 8

Move van to Bleatarn Farm campsite

£25 pn with hard standing, EHU and water.

Showers and washing up area

Honesty snack shed on site

➡️ cab to Banks

Sproul Taxis £35

There are cabs closer in Brampton but two out of the three were on holiday which meant the only one working was full days beforehand

Airbus 2000 cabs came recommended for this stretch.

⬅️ walk to campsite

8 miles

Day 9

➡️ walk directly from campsite

We walked to Burgh on the sands

14.5 miles 😮

⬅️ cab back to campsite – we used Radio Taxis

£28

14.5 miles

Day 10

Drove van to Bowness on Solway camping £30 pn without EHU. £7.50 extra for electric.

➡️bus to Burgh on the sands – sporadic time so be careful here. We caught the 10:30 but there wasn’t another due for a few hours! £2pp

⬅️Walk to finish and campervan 🥇

8 miles

On our drive back to the east, it was unbelievable to think of the distance we’d covered!

We popped into Lanercost Priory which is about a 3 mile detour off the wall by foot. It’s made of bricks taken from the wall.

We also went to Vindolanda as the weather was cooler so we could leave Jazz safely in van (no dogs). The site is huge and has a rather impressive section of Roman road. Also it was home to some very exciting Roman finds – the writing tablets. There are 13 on display and more in the British museum which we saw earlier this year. Because of the peat soil here they’ve been preserved incredibly. We thoroughly enjoyed the informative guided tour by the archaeologist there and the museum is very good too. Definitely worth a visit! There is also a section of reconstructed wall to give an idea of height and appearance.

That concluded our Hadrians wall Roman adventure- what a brilliant time we’d had.

Happy to report it is not the end of our summer camping trip though son stay tuned for more updates on what follows!

Adventures in the North East of England- using THS

Posted in 2022 Trips, Camping and Caravan Club, cycling, Historical places, Northumbria, Yorkshire2 Comments

Tuesday

Gandalf the VW is parked up on a rugby pitch- literally next to the goal post- on the outskirts of York. We’re on a rally field essentially, a Temporary Holiday Site (THS) ran by C&CC like a pop up campsite. There are no loos/ ehu or fancy ness- it’s a field with a tap, non and loo emptying facilities, but at £10 pn it’s a bargain and heaps cheaper than the other options for camping in York.

Our journey here from Burnley was smooth and picturesque as we crossed country via the scenic Yorkshire Dales. We pulled into site at lunchtime- in the middle of a county cricket match and had the surreal experience of driving through the cricket match to get to the rally field (the rugby field!)

Set up was quick and easy, and before we knew it we were taking the river path from the site for 20 mins on foot into the centre of York.

We’ve been to York many times, it’s a city we return regularly too and if you’ve not been it’s well worth a visit. It’s rich in history and has the unique Roman city wall walk which can be enjoyed. The shambles – a medieval street with heaps of character is like something off a pantomime set and the majestic minster is also worth a visit.

Our visit today was organised by Keefy- he was keen to visit the Yorkshire life museum as on display currently is an impressive Roman Horde called the Rydale horde. As we had Jazz with us who couldn’t go into the museum, I dog sat in a nearby bar overlooking the river.

As well as the Rydale horde, Keith enjoyed a collection of Prehistoric, Viking, Anglo Saxon and medieval artefacts, all found in York and surrounding areas. He was particularly impressed with the Anglo Saxon helmet dating from 750, considered to be the best preserved in the world and some Viking shoes. He was really impressed with the whole museum and would definitely recommend it.

Follwing this, and reunited once more, we had a quick wander through the city, doing a couple of errands as we passed through, before meeting our friend Gary for a few drinks in the evening.

Our afternoon and evening in York was brief this time, but enjoyable non the less.

Wednesday

After a quiet night on site, we packed up and hit the road at a reasonable hour. We had a 3hr journey north ahead of us- we were heading to Northumberland. We made a stop at National Trust Cragside on route. Somewhere I’d wanted to visit for some time now and thankfully it was cool enough to leave Jazz in the van whilst we went inside together.

Cragside is considered to be Britain’s first “smart home”. Living in a smart home ourselves- Keith loves his technology- I knew we’d enjoy this visit. Built by Lord Armstrong in the Victorian era, this home was carved into rock in a crag- and boasts wonderful views from every corner. But its the pioneering technology inside that makes it’s particularly interesting. Lord Armstrong developed all sorts of gadgets running inside such as hydraulic “dumb editors” – rotating hydraulic spits over the fire, underfloor and over head heating, hot water taps and the first hydroelectric light bulbs in the world.

The thing that blew me away the most was the 10 ton marble fireplace, installed in the “drawing” room – an additional wing built for a royal visit. Lord Armstrong’s pioneering technology gained interest from the Royal family and as such they paid Cragside a visit in the late 1800s. What was fascinating was the idea that their bedroom here would be more advanced than at their own royal home.

After our visit inside we took Jazz for a wander around the grounds before retrieving Gandalf and enjoying the carriage route around the grounds- a 6 mile scenic loop in the car through the grounds.

From here we made a quick stop at Alnwick, filling the fridge with supplies before arriving at our next home, Beadnell Bay THS.

This large rally field, ran by Teesside DA was another corker. Two large fields this time, right opposite a beautiful beach situated walking distance from both Beadnell village and Seahouses. Again, just £10 pn. We paid our dues for 3 nights, and went to set up.

Dinner that night was a homemade curry from home that had been packed in our freezer. We enjoyed a chill before an early night.

Thursday arrived and the weather was drizzly to begin with. We had a fairly lazy morning waiting for the weather to blow over, which it did- before making our way on foot via the gorgeous and empty beach to Seahouses.

Seahouses is a small little village with a couple of pubs, a couple of fish and chip shops, and some touristy gift shops. It’s got a pretty harbour and is know as being the gateway to the Farne islands. There are plenty of boats trips available (although we’d been organised and pre booked ours with Golden Gate).

We enjoyed a delicious lunch of crab soup- Devine! in the Olde Ship- in their beer garden overlooking the Farne Islands. The sun was shining- life was good!

At 3pm we boarded our (dog friendly) boat trip to the Farne Islands. Our boat is the only one which stops at the Indians of Longstone- with its pretty red and white lighthouse, once home to Grace Darling, which we could visit. (Keith went in- I enjoyed the view outside with Jazz).

The boat then continued around the inner and outer Farne islands where we saw lots of birds and seals. Even a couple of puffins- it’s not puffin season anymore so this was a treat!

We really enjoyed the boat trip. A lovely way to enjoy an afternoon.

Once back on dry land, we enjoyed a beer in the Bamburgh Castle pub before enjoying a fish and chip supper at the harbour (from Neptunes- they were delicious!)

We’d had a cracking day, and once back at Gandalf, we enjoyed the last rays of the day with a drink.

Friday

Today we took the bikes out for a pootle along the coastal route. We nipped down into nearby Beadnall to see the 17th century kilns on the harbour wall, before making our back past the THS to Bamburgh.

Bamburgh is home to the phenomenal Bamburgh Castle, which dominates the coastline for as far as you can see. It’s also linked to Lord Armstrong (from Cragside) as he purchased it and restored it in the late 1800s. So tied nicely in with our visit to Cragside a couple of days ago.

The views of the Farne Islands from the grounds (which are dog friendly by the way) are great and the expanse of white Sandy beach below are just stunning.

We took it in turns to go inside – I finished my book whilst Keith went in, and he had a coffee and cake whislt I went in, and both found the interior really interesting.

It was a great visit and one which we’d not planned as we didn’t think it was dog friendly even in the grounds.

We enjoyed cycling a bit beyond the village, admiring the views constantly. What a marvellous section of coast.

Back at the site and we enjoyed a prawn and avacado cocktail and spag bol for tea.

We’d really enjoyed our time here. The THS site runs from July to mid august each year and I think there is another in September. To find out about the THS’s use this link. (You need to be members of C&CC to attend)

If you’d prefer the luxury of a more formal campsite and perhaps ehu, there is a club site next door.

Gandalf had coped admirably with 4 nights off grid, we’d had a mix of weather so the solar panel didn’t get sun ALL the time. The thing with VW’s is the fridge running of the leisure battery rather than gas which is a shame and makes off grid a bit more of a challenge. Having said that, ours managed – we just ran the fridge and water pump off the solar panel and van leisure battery. We then used this – a new gadget for this trip- to charge phones and run the 12v shower, plus give us light for the evening. It worked a treat.

This area is an ideal base for a few days as there are bus stops outside the site for routes along the coast, to Alnwick or even Newcastle. So plenty to do without moving your van.

What a great time we’d had. But it was time to move on! Where next?!

Adventures in  London 

Posted in 2021 Trips, Historical places, London, SightseeingLeave a comment

(backdated from the beginning of September- Sorry for the delay!

Friday 10 September

Gandalf the VW Campervan is parked up on an old favourite site of ours, the C&MC Club site at Crystal Palace. Its usually an oasis of calm in the middle of suburban south London, however something tells us that this time may be different. Our spider senses were tingling as we made our way towards the site, and road closures became apparent, and then came the vast amounts of teenagers, many wearing less than I’d wear on the beach, swarming towards Crystal Palace! We felt old as we arrived at the campsite, and were utterly confused as to what was going on. The wardens soon set us straight. The Wireless festival was being held just metres behind the campsite for the whole weekend. DRAT! “Don’t worry” they said, “the music * stops at 10pm”.

*Music – Thats one word to describe it!!! Good grief!!!

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The festival began at midday and therefore we were treated to its opening act as we set up. Our pitch was the closest to the stage. My goodness me- it was LOUD. We could NOT stop laughing. It was just so bad/loud. All we could do was laugh and thank our lucky stars we’d not planned to go to this site for a relax. Our neighbours, who arrived just after us, lasted a whole 30 mins before they threw the towel in and moved on to a different site. We left Gandalf to vibrate to the drum and bass beat, and hopped on the next bus into London. This site is soooo convenient for city breaks – the bus goes directly to Horse Guards Parade and runs 24 hours a day. Wireless wasn’t going to ruin our break.

Our first stop in London was the house in which Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s founding Fathers, resided during his time in London.

Benjamin Franklin’s House was situated in a lovely Geogian town house just behind Charing Cross, and we really enjoyed a pre booked tour around the house, which included lots of original Georgian features such as a terrific marble fireplace and wooden staircase which bore the weight of Franklin’s weight lifting efforts.

It was a terrific tour, and we learnt loads about the life of Benjamin Franklin – and also his inventions, including the interesting Glass Armonia, a musical instruments that uses glass and a rubbing technique to create different notes.

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After our visit we had a quick drink before making our way towards The British Museum. The main feature of our trip to London was to visit the Nero Exhibition.  

The exhibition showcased hundreds of absolutely INCREDIBLE artefacts, many in pristine condition which dated from as early as AD30. Many looked like brand new.

The exhibition completely and utterly blew our minds. In fact, I actually thought Keith was about to collapse when he saw the ORIGINAL Praetorian Guard relief, dating from AD51. He was beyond emotional.

Other highlights of the exhibition were the wall paintings brought over from Pompei- the colours still outstanding.

We saw hundreds of coins, again as new, and depicting all sorts of scenes from Nero’s reign.

We even saw a writing slate that had imprints of Roman handwriting on. It was truly wonderful and if you have any interest in Roman history whatsoever it is vital that you go and see this exhibition – however be quick as it ends on 24th October!

After a couple of hours of having our minds blown, we wandered down into Soho and found a lovely Italian – it seemed appropriate – for dinner. We discussed the exhibition over a bottle of Italian red wine and a lasagne. It had been a great day!

Even better that when we arrived back to site at 11pm, all signs of Drum and Bass and underdressed teenagers had disappeared and our campsite was lovely and peaceful once more.

Saturday dawned a little earlier than hoped – as we were so close to the main stage and artist area, we were woken by hoovers from 5am which went on til 8am. Then we had sound checks from 9am. Not quite the morning we’d anticipated but it gave us a kick to get up and out and so we were on the bus by 10am! 

Today’s agenda was more Roman history sites. But before that we treated ourselves to a drink in our “London Office” – the Tattishall Castle – the best view for your drink on ground level London.

We toasted Londinium and watched the world go by on the Thames for a while before carrying on to Chinatown for a Dim Sung lunch.

We then walked from Soho to Bank, along the Strand and Fleet Street. We just love exploring London by foot. There is always something cool to see, somewhere new to take a picture and a new pub to try a pint in. We got great views of St Pauls as we wandered by.

We arrived at Bloomberg Space ready for a (free) tour of the London Mithraeum.

This site was discovered when the underground was being constructed nearby in the late 1800s. The temple of Mithras as it was also known, would have been a mysterious place to visit, with the mystical temple being underground and frequented by men who wore masks and worshipped scenes depicting Mithras killing a bull within a cave. The cult remained fairly secretive despite spreading across Europe over the period of around 300 years.

The remains of the Temple of Mithras were really great to see – but the highlight was how the site was displayed with a fantastic audio light show making the underground cave ooze in atmosphere. The vapoured light column were ingenious, and we really REALLY enjoyed our visit. 

From here, we had a drink on nearby Watling Street – an original Roman Road which also has great views of St Pauls Cathedral.

We then walked all the way back to Soho, via Millennium Bridge and a couple of really cool historical pubs – The Blackfriars being a highlight with its very instagrammable architecture and really great original decor.

We had a Thai meal for dinner before making our way back to Gandalf.

We’d walked miles but had a BRILLIANT day. We haven’t had much of plan for today other than the temple of Mithras and so it was especially good to have had a spontaneous mooch, going where our noses took us. Since Covid, there’s been a shift in spontaneity- most things have to be pre booked well in advance so today felt really good. We enjoyed using a book which Keith got for Xmas – it helped us find some hidden gems for sure. London for Instagrammers – would make a good Christmas pressie for those who like exploring London by foot.

London, you never fail to disappoint. We can’t wait to be back again! 

Until Next Time 

L x

Adventures on the Thames

Posted in 2021 Trips, Caravan and Motorhome Club, Caravan Club CL, Historical places, Oxfordshire, River Thames, Thames Path3 Comments

Gandalf the VW Campervan is parked up a stones throw from the River Thames in Newbridge, a tiny hamlet consisting of 800 year old bridge, two pubs and a farm, who’s field we are camped on! We’re on Newbridge Farm, a C&MC CL, with no facilities other than a loo disposal, tap and bin. We’ve come for a last hurrah before we return to work next week, after a terrific summer of travel and adventures. The first part of this trip is a bit of a “working holiday” as we both attacked our return to work admin and time tabling for the term ahead. However, as all we needed for this was a phone, iPad and 4g, we decided a change of scenery out of our office window would be nice. Also there is something really liberating about being off hook up- it does something (positive) to our mind and so we’ve found the headspace here that we needed to crack on with admin.

The site itself is a medium sized field, with elson point, tap, and rubbish disposal and views over the fields. There is a footpath which takes you across a field to the Thames and the Thames Path, and not one but two pubs, and a very historical bridge.

There is some road noise, however it didn’t cause us too much of a problem, and at £6pn we just can’t complain at all! It’s packed as you can see…..!

As I said earlier, we just ADORE these off grid sites. It’s also really interesting to see how the solar panel copes as it’s very grey and cloudy- we seem to be stuck in a cloudy tunnel at the moment! (Update – it worked brilliantly! 2 nights off grid with very cloudy skies and we’re still sat at 12.5 v – really chuffed!)

We arrived here on Tuesday afternoon and settled down for some admin time before taking a dog walk to the local for a river view. We enjoyed a pint in the Rose Revived, a green king pub, and as the seasons have apparently shifted to autumn, it would have been rude not to try an Abbots Ale overlooking the bridge and river.

Newbridge, contrary to its name, is actually the oldest original crossing of the River Thames. It’s 800 years old and was built during the reign of King John. It’s a beautiful bridge.

After our pint at The Rose Revived we decided to inspect the bridge from the other side, this time taking a river front seat at The Maybush. Our luck was in as they had declared £1 a pint as they tried to clear some left over beer festival stock.

We returned to Gandalf, had a shower each in the awning and then made beef and potato curry for dinner. Delicious! Before settling down under fairy lights and reading our magazines.

Wednesday dawned grey again, never mind, we cracked on with our admin in the morning, and just before lunchtime went for a 3 mile linear walk from Newbridge towards the sea (which is 153 miles to the east)

In lockdown earlier this year, I spent a considerable amount of time planning a Thames Path adventure using Gandalf and campsites as our base each night. Sadly I got a foot injury and we had to postpone our walk. The Thames Path runs for 183 miles and runs from the source of the Thames just south of Cirencester where it’s just a spring and tiny stream, into the sea at the Thames Barrier. I really really want to walk this, so hope my injury improves for next year. In the meantime I’ll blog about my Thames Path plans separately sometime.

Today’s walk took in a very remote and pretty section of the The Thames. It’s hard to image this picture perfect rural river ending up running through the capital of England with high rises, Parliament etc on each bank.

After our walk we stopped for lunch at The Maybush -unfortunately the staff in The Rose Revived were extremely rude to us, but it was their loss. Plus, the Maybush still had £1 a pint!

As we’d had such a productive couple of days, we decided to treat ourselves to a trip on the Thames, by hiring an electric punt boat from a stall just by the Rose Revived – Oxford Punts. We spent an hour having the most relaxing time making four way towards the source of the Thames. [£25 for 1 hour on electric punt, £3 for dog] I was desperate to see either an otter or a kingfisher but it was not to be. This stretch of the Thames is so quiet and tranquil. Keith did a marvellous job driving the punt- much better than me! It was great to sail under the historic bridge too.

Following our adventure on the Thames we made our way back to Gandalf for a rather large chill. We attempted pizzas on the Cadac using our new pizza stone but they weren’t successful. We followed the instructions of putting the stone directly on the flame, but it soon became obvious that this was a misprint and infact we ended up with a burnt base. Never mind, next time we will know to follow our instincts rather than the instructions!

https://videopress.com/v/cz8aUNaz?preloadContent=metadata

Thursday and it’s moving on day! Admin completed, we’re off for an adventure with my Dad and Step mum down the road. Stay tuned for updates!

Until next time

Lx

Adventures in the South Downs: Part 1- Bignor Roman Villa

Posted in 2021 Trips, Attractions, cycling, Historical places, South Downs, SussexLeave a comment

Gandalf the Campervan is parked up on the very pretty North Stoke Farm, a caravan and Motorhome club certified location, in the heart of the South Downs. This is our favourite type of site- absolutely nothing here apart from a chemical loo and water tap and bin. Having no electric means people can space out to their hearts content, and it is oh so peaceful and green. We’re in heaven.

As you may have seen on our previous post, we should be in Madeira. Or actually Peru! Then Madeira when Peru got cancelled. Madeira got cancelled on Thursday and as its Keith’s 50th this week, I’ve planned a week of surprises- the first being a trip to Bignor Roman Villa, which we did today. We arrived at our campsite at 5pm last night and had the most wonderfully peaceful evening and the morning birdsong was tremendous.

Monday dawned slightly overcast but with a promising forecast ahead, we cracked on. Our first mission to test out our new gadgets: his n hers E bikes which we brought recently from Aldi.

Our maiden voyage on our the bikes was just 4.4miles away – a trip which took in rolling hills and beautiful villages and have our pedal assist a good testing!

Bignor Roman Villa was just Amazing. Utterly wonderful and overwhelming considering this is home to the largest mosaic in the UK at 24 metres long. The mosaics were astonishing. How exciting it must have been for those who unearthed it as they ploughed a field 200 years ago. And how lovely it is that the same family run the site. We actually met the 7th generation of the man who found the first mosaic; my pedal fell off a mile from the Villa and the lady kindly called her husband who drove a spanner to us. The staff here were so unbelievably nice. I told them about our reason to be there and not in Peru (K’s bday) and they gave him a bday gift. He (and I) was blown away by the site and I e hospitality. If you have any interest in Roman History at all this is an absolute must.

We enjoyed a cream tea in the sunshine and a local ice cream before making our way back to Gandalf via a farm shop/honesty shed and a section of the South Downs Way. Amberley looked pretty and there were two good pubs here but sadly both closed on a Monday.

We dropped our bikes off – we were thrilled with them by the way- hills… what hills?! And then walked 1.8 miles along a very pretty footpath and over the Gurka Suspension bridge – made by the Gurka engineers, to the Black Rabbit pub in Offham, a picturesque pub on the banks of the river Arun, with terrific views of Arundel Castle; our activity (Keith’s surprise) for tomorrow.

We enjoyed a lovely meal overlooking the castle and a couple of pints of their own lager.

Arundel is only 5 or 6 miles from the campsite so easily explorable from here – but we are moving on to a new location for our site tomorrow evening.

This campsite is one heck of a gem in the C&MC network. At just £10 pn, we will definitely be back as we have fallen head over heels with this area.

Tonight we had a cheese board washed down with red wine, pretending that we are Romans before settling down to another very peaceful night (we hope!) ahead.

Adventures in Roman Chester

Posted in 2020 trips, Cheshire, Historical places2 Comments

Ruby the VW Campervan is nestled between the Apple trees, on a beautiful C&MC certified location on the outskirts of Chester, called Heathfield. This site is a huge orchard and because there is no hook up here we get the choice of where we pitch. We’ve taken social distancing to the next level as you can see.

On the way here we made a (pre booked) stop off at National Trust Speke Hall on the outskirts of Liverpool. The property is a fabulous wooden Tudor property and has some beautiful gardens to wander. Obviously at the moment we can’t go in the house but we spent a very happy hour or so enjoying the grounds, and the hydrangeas were stunning. We also found the moat garden interesting – this was converted from a moat in the Victorian era. We’re going to make a real effort to revisit here when the house is open as it really is a stunning example of Tudor Manor House.

On arrival at the site we were welcomed by the very friendly owner Phil. Little did we know this guy would be our saviour on more than one occasion this weekend! We set up in the blistering heat and humidity, each time it’s getting quicker and more familiar which is good.

Keith prepared a bbq for us for dinner, and we were relieved the humidity died down after a light showers. As mentioned before this site has no hook up so we connected our briefcase solar panel up to the leisure battery and placed the solar panel on the roof.

At this point we realised we forgot some very essential supplies for breakfast, the beans and mushrooms 😂, and so I popped to see Phil to see where the nearest shop was. He said it was too far to walk so offered to drive and get some for us! How nice was that?! Minor crisis averted we settled into a relaxing evening outside enjoy the utter serenity and space of our new home.

Saturday arrived and the weather was mixed – we had a fairly lazy morning and cooked a full English on our new pan- which is brilliant by the way – link here – before wandering into Chester.

Chester has been on our must visit list for a while; Keith being so into history, particularly the Roman’s; makes me wonder how we’ve managed to take this long to visit! Chester is home to the only compete set of city walls and also a number of Roman ruins, including the largest amphitheatre ruins in UK. What absolutely astounded me is that the amphitheatre was found when engineers were building a main road – and while they tried to be sympathetic to these impressive ruins, it’s slightly ruined (pardon the pun) by the constant stream of traffic passing by.

We enjoyed a wander through the city centre to admire the medieval buildings, of which there are loads- Including some amazing timber galleries that still house traders to this day. This was really incredible and actually we feel stunned that this isn’t UNESCO. The Rows as they are called, house many shops and barbers and have been slightly ruined by the sheer amount of billboards displayed but shops need to advertise I suppose. There were some questionable planning decisions in our humble opinions right through the city, but I suppose that could be said all over.

The city walls were impressive, particularly a steep section leading up to the cathedral. At just over a mile in length they took us almost an hour to walk round with picture stops along the way. If we’d have had our way we would have had some refreshment stops too, but, for a city with such impressive history and historical buildings there was a disappointingly lack of historical pubs (and dog friendly pubs to be specific). There is an interesting old pub situated in the Rows, called the Old Boot but not only was this not dog friendly it also was not technology friendly either and with big signs saying no Phones, cameras, cash only etc etc even if we’d not got Jazz I think we may have felt uncomfortable visiting especially when most places are card payments only with COVID etc. Hey ho.

Luckily, we accidentally stumbled across Hickeys, a smokehouse situated on the river and below the Roman Gardens (pics above). We enjoyed a drink mid afternoon in their garden and perused their menu which looked incredible. Sadly though, it was full for dinner reservations. I genuinely nearly cried – it’s no secret that our trip to Texas left a lasting impression on us and our tastebuds, and seeing a Texas smoke house in the UK is rare. I was right in the mood for a plate of brisket! I may have communicated this to our poor waiter and unbelievably just as we were paying for our drinks he came over, delighted to tell us that he had managed to move some things about and if we didn’t mind coming back at 5pm they’d found us space in a dog friendly part of the restaurant. Perfect!

I pretty much skipped around the remainder of the walls!

Our dinner at Hickory’s was FABULOUS. Proper proper good! The staff were fab, they fell in love with Jazz and as such he was rewarded with his own bowl of brisket which he inhaled! It was a perfect evening and that meal was worth a return to Chester in itself!

We passed a Motorhome overnight parking spot in Chester here which looked good for future reference.

Back at the campsite it became obvious that something was adrift with our battery in Ruby. There has been not too much sun so the leisure battery was struggling. We also lost our central locking which indicated our vehicle battery was dead. It turns out that our new cool box/beer fridge had been plugged into the wrong 12v plug – thus draining the vehicle battery. This was definitely Keefy’s fault by the way! 😉 there wasn’t much we could do about it until the morning so we had a quiet (and dark) night!

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny. The campsite owner very kindly agreed to give us a jump start with his land rover. But Ruby’s battery was too flat for a jump. “No problem” Phil said, “I’ll bump start you off”. Then we realised we don’t have a tow ring on the front end. “What about the tow bar at the back” I said tentatively. Don’t worry, he didn’t bump me backwards (sorry couldn’t resist that phrase!) but that’s how at 9.30am on a Sunday morning, much I’m sure to the rest of the campsites amusement, I found myself being towed backwards half a mile through the apple trees, and a very tight gap between trees may I add – our lovely private pitch only private because of all the trees surrounding it! Luckily for us Phil had a garage with lots of boys toys in it and managed to charge our battery with some sort of flash gadget, whilst we enjoyed a cuppa in their garden. And I had a proud moment when my reversing skills got a big thumbs up from Phil and Keefy.

Sorry there is no photo evidence for this; stress levels were a bit high!

Once Ruby sprung into action again we hit the road heading home. We’d had a wonderful 6 days, full of lovely food, drink, walks and scenery and a fair share of adventures too! We’ve just got a couple of days at home before we head off north again on Wednesday so when we got home we had a mad hour emptying, washing clothes and bed sheets and beginning to refill Ruby.

Until next time

Lx

Ps on returning home I’ve managed to rescue my missing Bronte pics – so there will be an update of the Haworth blog shortly with my own pictures on!

A Royal Retreat; Part 2

Posted in 2020 trips, Attractions, Historical places6 Comments

Ruby the VW is parked up in Windsor, and we can see Windsor Castle from our window! We are parked up in a sectioned off part of the Coach Park in Alexandria Car Park and amazingly they allow overnight parking/sleeping in Campervans/Motorhomes.

We arrived late morning having had a lay in and a full English Breakfast. The weather had been unsettled over night and the wardens at Chertsey C&CC were quite rightly closing the Island part of the campsite due to fears of flooding. Overnight the river had burst its banks and water was getting close to the pitches on the island area.

We made the short journey to Windsor (about 25 mins) from the site and arrived at the car park just before noon. The Security team showed us where we could park and we felt very pleased to be “wild camping’ for the night. We paid £15 for our parking but this was from 12 noon through to 9am the following morning. Considering we paid £6 to park at Hampton Court Palace for 4 hours, we felt this was fairly reasonable. There is a toilet near the station however this closes in the evening and overnight. There was also a tap near to the coach area but not sure if that’s for use by campervanners.

See video here

Feeling pleased to be parked up we made the short walk to Windsor Castle entrance. I’d been very excited to make this visit – I have just recently finished reading Lady in Waiting and am watching The Crown so am totally in ‘The Zone’ when it comes to the Royal Family right now!

We’d pre booked our tickets through the Windsor Palace website (£23.50 pp) and arrived just after noon to no queues or anything. It was just a shame that the weather was drizzly and wet.

We first visited St George’s Chapel – the site of the most recent Royal Wedding of Harry and Meghan. We also saw the tomb of Henry VIII which tied in well with our visit the previous day to Hampton Court Palace. The chapel is beautiful, especially the roof and the organ. Sadly no pics were allowed.

We then moved on to the State Apartments and also the Queen Mother’s Dolls House. The Doll’s House was incredible – made in the 1920s its a full scale model of a Royal Household, and everything inside it works! The scale is 1 foot to 1 inch. Even the grammerphone plays real LPs, and the miniature wine bottles had real wine in!

From here we walked through the wonderful collection of State Apartments. Its hard not to be impressed here, especially given that they are still in use for Royal Receptions and the such to this day. St George’s Hall was destroyed in the 90s by a terrible fire, but has been rebuilt and was the venue for the most recent Royal Wedding.

After visiting this section of the castle the rain had nearly stopped so we went to look at the outdoor courtyard where we could see the current Queen’s private apartments. We were told by a guide that she regularly comes to Windsor Castle, in fact she’d been there a couple of days prior to our visit.

We enjoyed looking at the round tower, the oldest part of Windsor Castle, and hope to return in August or September as it opens up to the public then. Our ticket today got stamped so we can return for free again within 12 months.

We really enjoyed our 3 hours or so exploring Windsor Castle – the audio guide was really informative and for me it was a big bucket list tick.

After our visit, we decided to enjoy the fact that we were parked up for the night. We went for a drink at the nearby Horse and Groom – opposite the Castle. Keefy soon spotted a Windsor and Eton Brewery ale trail leaflet, and so the rest of the afternoon was spent dodging the rain as we made our way around the trail – we may have added in some extra pubs too! We really enjoyed the pubs it took us to and the ale was really tasty too.

About 8pm we realised we hadn’t eaten since our breakfast, so made our way back to Ruby where I cooked up a Carbonara before we both crashed out – we were asleep by 9pm and enjoyed a very peaceful night in the carpark along with one other motorhome. I fancied trying the BBQ restaurant in town but as we’d been on the go all day (and had a few jars) we were ready to turn in! We will definitely return and will make a point of eating there next time.

We’d had a marvellous day exploring Windsor and really commend the council for having the business sense to make this scrap part of a car park a place for us to park up overnight. If we hadn’t have stayed here, then there were no other campsites for us to stay at within the range of public transport and therefore we would have been unable to take part in the pub crawl.

Well done Windsor! See our video Here

Tomorrow we are making our return journey home but not without a visit to Bletchley Park to see if we can bag a a new job as a codebreaker.

Thursday Dawned another wet and grey day. We waved goodbye to Windsor Castle just before 9am and the new day’s parking charges kicked in and made the 1.25 hour journey north to Bletchley, near Milton Keynes.

Bletchley Park has been another place on our ‘to visit’ list and we were excited to be finally ticking it off. Despite the grey and murky weather we arrived just after 10am and after having a quick late breakfast/early lunch in the carpark we entered the very important historical site.

During WW2 Bletchley Park would have been a hive of activity and the people who worked here were instrumental in ending the war. It was here that mathematicians and scientists worked tirelessly trying to crack the codes that were being intercepted from Germans to their Army. It was also here that Alan Turrin and his team developed the Bombe machine which was instrumental in deciphering and decoding messages from the German Enigma machines. If you haven’t already seen the film, Benedict Cumberbatch plays a fantastic Alan Turrin in The Imitation Game.

Visiting Bletchley Park is an all day affair. The site is large and there is lots and lots of information to read (perhaps too much) and quite a number of interactive code breaking multi media displays. There are numerous huts to visit, including the famous hut 11a and 11 where the Bombe machine was made and also Hut 8 which was where Alan Turrin had his office and team. There is also the mansion – although half of it was closed sadly.

In Block B there were a number of original Enigma machines to view, but aside from these and a few original facsimiles and essays written by Turrin we found the original artefacts lacking and this was disappointing considering that the entry price was £20 per person – and that was booking in advance price. Buying tickets on the day would have been more. Whilst we very much enjoyed being on the site, and found being in hut 8 very interesting and atmospheric, the endless multimedia displays and projections of actors and recordings of the actors voices very repetitive and just not needed. We were also incredibly disappointed that there is no original (or replica) Bombe machine here. Very sadly (and not the museums fault we realise) all the work that Turrin and his team did was ordered to be demolished at the end of the war and this included the codebreaking machine and everything to do with it. A working replica was made around 10 years ago but this is not housed at Bletchley. This is down the road at the National Computer Centre and requires additional entry fees.

There is an original Bombe machine in Maryland USA so we’ve decided to go and see that sometime instead as you know we love USA!

As I said, we enjoyed visiting the site, and rewatched The Imitation Game last night with nothing buy admiration for this who worked there. But, we felt disappointed by our visit – we should have read up beforehand, but didn’t, and as such felt disappointed not to be able to see originals. Also we felt there was an overload of repetitive and complicated information. It was hard to follow as it didn’t flow brilliantly well. I suppose its always going to be difficult to understand the information there unless you have a very mathematical and scientific mind as the formulas etc behind the code breaking machines were just so advanced! We would have liked to have read more about the people who worked there and their lives.

Like Windsor Castle, our tickets are valid for 1 year of return visits, so perhaps we will revisit later in the year with fresh eyes and without the expectation of seeing an original Bombe machine.

It’s worth noting by the way, if you plan to visit here, they won’t allow dogs in the car park. We didn’t have Jazz as we had booked three days of none dog friendly attractions so he went for a holiday at my mums, but there was a security guard checking vehicles on entry for animals and even if someone is sitting in the car with them, you would be turned away.

It was a shame to be finishing our mini break feeling flat. We’d really enjoyed our time away, and felt we’d made the best out of a disappointing week of weather, but I could do with a couple more days away to recharge and am desperately craving some mountain vistas.

We’ve got a very busy 4 weeks ahead, with no free weekends as we are gigging and holding exam days etc –  but then we travel to Vietnam and Cambodia for almost 3 weeks! I’m hoping we may manage a night away at a Britstop before then – our new Book was waiting for us on our return home!

For this weekend, we have more rain and more wind on its way so it”s time to batten down those hatches again!

Until Next Time

Lx

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A Royal Retreat; Part 1

Posted in 2020 trips, Camping and Caravan Club, Historical places, London, Sightseeing2 Comments

The trouble with writing a blog post having had some fizz, is it ends up in the wrong place!

So please click on the link for this mornings blog list about our first day on tour yesterday at Hampton Court Palace!

A Royal Retreat; Part 1

Our morning view at Chertsey Camping and Caravan Club site