Jim's Holidays

Monday, 12 November 2018

Prague in Autumn

An easy journey with no queuing at Gatwick or Prague and soon enough I've arrived at our spacious and chic apartment (with lots of ominous looking bolts on the doors) which Maya's already checked into and has the bare necessities for the evening. Lovely to see Maya and she's my guide for the weekend as she's spending a year at the university here as part of her philosophy course, very appropriate. It's evening so the two of us wander out around the local squares and looking up the river from one of the bridges with a view down to the Charles Bridge. We eat at a vegan burrito place and then sharing a bottle of wine in a bar. Next day is Saturday and the place is heaving with tourists, as I nip out to change some money I'm confronted with a sea of them coming towards me and I nearly have to turn round to go with the flow. Our apartment opens out onto a pedestrianised street with market and I buy my souvenir of a Fly Agaric mushroom nut cracker with a picture of the town hall on it. After breakfast we wander over the river where there are dozens of swans and up to the castle where the clouds part for a few minutes just in time to take a couple of photos down the river and beyond. The queue to the castle is crazily long so instead we walk through the park that overlooks the river, quite high up here, a bit like Budapest, and stop for a beer in the beer garden. Then we walk back down and over the river to go through the Jewish quarter but as Saturday we can't visit the synagogues. Back through the back streets to our local Albert supermarket for dinner provisions and then back for a quiet evening of pasta and films. Sunday we breakfast then go up the town hall tower with the astronomical clock which has fantastic views over the city (our place is close to the green onion church) and well worth the fee and climb up the steps. The main synagogue queue is too long for us to wait for so we trundle back home and then set out again just as it starts raining. Doesn't last long and we walk out away from the city to an area opposite the river which Maya knows has big avenues and quirky bars and cafes. The old centre is a mix of boulevards which big buildings reminiscent of Paris but also criss-crossed by smaller streets with the buildings crammed together. Prague escaped destruction in the 20th century wars and many of the building remain as they were with gorgeous sculptures on the outside and wall paintings on the inside (and some outside). It has loads of big churches and civic buildings and is a very beautiful city. Where we've come is more spacious with wide avenues and the buildings are slightly smaller. We climb up a bit and see a couple of big churches set in their own grounds, rather than forming part of the normal street like in the old town. One modern church with big open area in front of it is hosting a wine festival with lots of stalls selling local wines. We get a hot wine each and also a bottle for the evening. They seem to like a drink here and are hard at the wine even though only early afternoon. There's a stage and we watch a popular local band who have two violins, double bass / cello and a strange piano like instrument but which is played with glockenspiel type sticks hitting the wires. Turns out it's a traditional central European instrument called a cimbalom (or cimbal). The music is a lot like early silent film music and Maya and I imagine what would be going on such as romantic interludes, police chases and baddy getting the girl, before the hero woos her back. It's a bit like I think of traditional Russian or Romany or Jewish music and the crowd love it with dancing breaking out every so often. After that excitement we wander off and have a burger in an odd little place a bit like an old school hippy cafe. Good food though. Unfortunately the vegan donut place next door has sold out. Maya's certainly landed on her feet food wise here! Next we wander through a park that has fantastic views over the Prague suburbs and out into the countryside. There are a couple of wood buildings here one with a kids party in full swing and we stop at a wooden terraced place for a beer to watch the sunset over the vineyard sloping down from us and over the suburb's tower blocks. A lovely end to the day. Although we still have a good walk back home via the supermarket for an evening of rice cookery lesson, introducing Maya to the Young Ones (it does seem dated but still very funny in parts) and the watch Woody Allen's Bananas which despite so many corny jokes still hits the spot. Monday it my last day and Maya has to return to her shared room. After another leisurely luxurious breakfast we wander down one of the picturesque streets past the opulent Opera House and get a couple of trams out to where Maya lives as it's on the way to the airport. We climb quite a long way out of the centre and she must be quite high up here. I pop into see Maya's pad, very cosy but I've seen worse, then we jump on the metro where we part ways as I'm getting the bus to the airport. A lovely weekend - thanks for your tourist guidance Maya! I'm jealous that she's here for a year as it's a fantastic place to spend a year away from London and Colchester.

Maya relaxing in our lovely apartment

Our street

View from our window - note fading fresco

Lovely view of Maya and Charles Bridge

Lovely view of Maya and Charles Bridge - and gatecrashing dad

From up near the castle

Our hallway

Maya sliding down our hallway

View from the Town Hall Tower

Out to the castle

In the Tower

Gothicest of gothic churches (c) Jim

Most gothic of buildings (c) Maya

One of Maya's arty pics (c) Maya

Great picture Maya!

Photographing a photographer

Regional band with weird piano thingy

Wine festival

Maya has a new interest in colourful leaves

As Maya said, maybe Morocco?

Typical Prague street sign and building plaque

Vineyard

Sunset over the vineyard

Autumnal colours of the vines - view from the bar

Sunday, 19 August 2018

Portugal Summer 18

Earlyish start on Saturday to get to Gatwick where we grab breakfast and fly out to Porto. It’s very hot here. After the usual hire care added costs (highway tolls, airport tax, something else undetermined) we are speeding up the motorway and soon enough reach our villa in Fantao to be welcomed by dad and then the very chatty owner who shows us around and then some. Next it’s a visit to the local town Ponte de Lima for a supermarket shop to get in the essentials and little luxuries. Once back we explore our 4 bedroom 3 bathroom villa which has a games room gorgeous kitchen living area and an outside covered chilling and barbeque area where I chill with my morning tea each day. Also a big room where they used to make wine which still has the foot powered grape standing areas and old barrels. The grounds are magnificent and kept very well. The villa is set in a vineyard so every so often people pop in to work. And the views of the hills to the south are amazing. And then there’s the 12m pool which is soon filled with the contents of my suitcase (inflatable flamingo, pineapple, water melon, lilo and zimmer frame). OK, they were worth bringing! After a bit of exploring the house and grounds and pasta for tea we turn in after a complimentary port for me (they owners left wine and a bottle of port for us).

Sunday is a little less hot and I drink my morning tea listening to the birds singing and church bell tolling, usually single bells rather than the peals of rural England. Late morning we drive up into the hills of the local national park finding an off road place to picnic. Fantastic views from up here and lovely relaxing in the shade of trees. Another supermarket visit, this time a different one to find more vegan and gluten free food which we are well catered for this time. Once back home we hang out at the pool and Jack and I have a game of table tennis then table football. We have our evening meal in the covered out house. It clouds over in the evening firstly big dark ones settling on the tops of the distant hills then enveloping them and then it rains whilst we’re eating dinner.

Monday is not quite so hot and we go to the weekly market at Ponte de Lima. To be honest it’s mainly clothes, how can this be profitable for so many stalls?, and we then wander round the older parts of town. By this time the sun is out in full force and its boiling hot. We come back home for lunch and make full use of the pool. Evening is a barbeque and relaxing by the pool again as it’s still hot.

Tuesday is a scorcher and we don’t move from the pool except for me to hide inside for a while. Debbie and I wander into the local village centre late afternoon but the effort of walking for 30 minutes wipes us out and we doze off on the pool loungers, as do the kids to be fair. After dinner we all mess about in the pool until way past dark when the new moon rises and falls and the bats weave in and out of the trees.

Wednesday another scorcher and apart from a quick visit to the local supermarket we hang around the pool all day and have a spot of table tennis. I hide in the north facing bit underneath the house which has a couple of benches presumably for getting out of the sun for a while. We have another barbeque then hang out by the pool and then inside.

Thursday early(ish) morning the surrounding hills are enshrouded in clouds but by mid morning the fierce sun has burnt them off and it’s scorching hot again. After our morning dips we drive into the local port town of Viana do Castello where we wander round the old streets and end up at the waterfront which is mainly modern and industrialised. Next we take a trip up the funicular railway to the pousada and big church at the top which has a wedding in progress when we go in. So not much looking around the glorious church but we do get to see a bit of a Portuguese wedding. After waiting for the funicular to be fixed we descend and drive back home via the hilly road and cross the river at Ponte de Lima. The usual evening spent eating rice and veggies (thanks girls) in the covered eating area then hanging out by the pool and finally flicking through various music channels and weird kids channels before retiring.

Friday morning the girls get up early to watch the sun rise then go back to bed and we all wake in a leisurely manner. Final day and we spend it by the pool except for a brief excursion into town for provisions for our final meal. Another scorching day doing not a lot except for reading, dipping and a bit of table tennis and table football. We watch the moon rise and planets and stars come out after dinner by the pool.

Saturday we’re up earlyish to leave before 10 when we drive to a beach north of Porto. It’s a busy one but at least we see the Portuguese at play. Which mainly consists of standing either near the waterline or knee deep gazing out to sea and being buffeted by the waves. They are pretty big and no one is actually swimming. No body boarders either although a few surfers riding the waves. It’s scorching hot with no shade so Debbie and I leave the kids to fry and find a nearby churchyard with shady trees to relax and read in. Then it’s time to get to the airport with only mild stress in finding a petrol station, then the car hire place, then having them notice a slight scratch on the plastic. We’re easily through check-in and security and after an uneventful flight we breeze through Gatwick passport control to meet our driver who goes the scenic route back to Balham station to drop off Jack and Maya and then take me, Debbie and Lily-Rose home to make a fuss of Casper. A lovely holiday and we can prove it by our tans.

Maya posing against the hills reflecting the sunset

The villa

View from the hills where we picniced

Ponte de Lima Monday market - spot Debbie

Ponte de Lima typical old street

The kids in the pool with inflatables getting in the way of Jack

What long legs you have Maya - and the wrong way round! Or is Lily-Rose in there too?

Lily-Rose all dressed up and nowhere to go (except the kitchen)

Our dining room which was al fresco

The dining room

Wine making place which every villa has I think

Funicular railway up to the Santa Luzia church

View from Santa Luzia

And Santa Luzia itself

The house from the pool

Hanging out at the kitchen door

Note the stone blocks that hold up the vine cables. Nice top Lily-Rose!

Gateway to paradise

Kitchen area - is Maya really loading the dishwasher?

Jack had a strenuous holiday

Getting on that flamingo is not so easy - well done Lily-Rose!

Maya getting worried that her 2nd piece of water melon is drifting away

Vegan on the left, chicken on the right - I'm mean on the BBQ - not those posing

Tuesday, 14 August 2018

Hannover Heat Summer of 18

Our flight to Hannover is 2 hours after Lily-Rose’s to Cork so after enduring the Sauna Train up to Stansted I wait for hours to be able to check in our case. Otherwise an uneventful flight and train into the centre and we check into our very nice hotel. Wandering around at midnight uncovers no bars so we raid the mini bar and sleep. Next day is going to be a hot one and we wander through the old part of town, or rather the reconstituted old part following the damage to every last building that the British inflicted75 years ago, and have a coffee in a church square with wedding ceremony in full flow. Of course the locals are drinking beer and wine and eating massive ice cream sundaes but as it’s not yet 11am we stick to coffee. It’s about 35 degrees already so we slowly make our way down past the river stopping frequently to rest in the shade and picnic breakfast next to the new, well, 100 years old, town hall. We go look around and get the very dodgy lift which starts at an angle up to the very top of the hall for spectacular views across Hannover and Saxony. I wonder if this is where my distant ancestors come from being British and Anglo Saxon. Some of me at least I’m sure. Next we wander through a park and down to the big lake Maschsee where we lunch on drinks, when in Germany, and chips. Then it’s a hot walk back past the football ground to the centre where we pick up our luggage and train out to Lutz and Johanna’s village. They have converted an amazing old house which the pictures will do justice rather than words. We are in the guest complex. We have home made pizza in the garden and after a few more local beers and a walk in the countryside and village turn in for the night.

Saturday we wake in a leisurely fashion but with a 6 year old and 10 week baby Lutz and Johanna have been up for hours. Ah, the joys of kids. It’s full on what with the kids and Debbie and I being put to work on self build furniture then friends dropping in for a chat, and beer of course, then Tina, Jens and the girls arrive in their motor home. It’s too hot to do much except for hide in the shade so that’s what we do chatting and drinking. Another great dinner picking at all sorts of delicacies then a walk around the village to see the horses. Us boys try to visit the local pub but unfortunately it’s closed. Maybe just as well. Sunday is a little cloudier but we all go to the local lido anyway and soon the sun comes up to heat us up. It’s a great place with decent sized pool, diving and spring boards all set in a wooded area with sun loungers and a café where we buy chips. Like a country club really. Soon though it’s time to part and we’re driven to the airport where Lutz and Johanna ask me to be baby Tom’s godfather, I think as I’ve been trying to persuade him to become a vegan Gooner cricketer. I’m greatly honoured and it’s the perfect way to end our stay in Germany. Thanks Family Klostermann! Flight home is good and fast. Chaos on the railway back to London but this is the UK not Germany!