Holidays
2016 - Ibiza, September and Suzie & I, Carole & Giuseppe escape for a one week break on Ibiza. Another all inclusive
and again we hire a car for one day to explore the island but otherwise we do a couple of trips, swim, sunbathe, explore on foot
and enjoy the good food and drink on offer. Reality is though that Spain is no longer a cheap holiday once you are there so
we are glad to be there all inclusive. As in Zycanthos the weather is good and we return well tanned.
2016 - Zycanthos, or Zante as it is now commonly known. Mid July Suzie & I, Carole & Giuseppe fly out for a 10 day holiday
in the sun. An all inclusive stay at Louis Zante Beach Hotel we hire a car for one day to explore the island but otherwise we
just chill out, sun bathing, explore on foot and enjoy the activities and entertainment provided by the animation team. Food is so
good that this is the first all inclusive where we don't end up eating meals out. The last 3 days are so hot that we are glad
to head back to Blighty.
2016 - Pitlochry, Scotland. March sees Suzie & I, Andrew & Emma, Mark, Eleanor & Maxwell (their Spaniel) drive up to
Scotland for a spring break in a hired Ford Tourneo A week visiting the distilleries and tasting the scotch, walking the countryside
and plenty of good food and drink.
2015 - Canada, 21st June sees Suzie & I, Carole & Giuseppe, Sue & Norman P flying off to Calgary for a Fly Drive on
the west of Canada, heading up through Banff, Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, Emerald Lake into Jasper National Park and the Glacier
tour & walk and the Sky Walk. From there into Jasper visiting Medecine Lake and Spirit Island. Then Mount Robson, Harrison Hot
Springs, Horse Shoe ferry to Vancouver Island stopping in Tofino for whale watching, Victoria and finally Vancouver.
2015 - Lake Garda, N Italy. March sees Suzie & I, Carole & Giuseppe fly out for an early season break which turns out to be a
week in the sun, the weather was just so good to us, unseasonably warm/hot. Visited Venice (which we loved) and Verona (which we
didn't). We flew in and out of Bergamo (Milan) and picked up a Fiat Panda hire car for our use for the duration ofour stay. The
Panda was great and we used it one day to drive around Lake Garda - a most enjoyable day out.
2014 - Menorca, Baliaric Island. September Suzie & I fly out for a late, end of season, week in the sun.
The hotel we stayed at was the Valentín Son Bou, very good, nice and friendly. Weather too was good for the whole week.
Locals nice and friendly and prices feasonable. Hired a horrible little car for a day driving around the island seeing the site.
We enjoyed the trip but we won't be going back, Majorca is better.
2013 - China. May - Suzie & I accompanied by Carole & Giuseppe and Sue & Norm - we fly out to Beijing for what
turns out to be more of an adventure than a holiday. We were constantly on the go from the start. Too many highlights
to list here but top spot was the Panda Research centre outside Chengdu - watching the pandas feed, then the young
ones play was brilliant. Yangzee River trip was as close as we got to relaxing. All in all though this was a trip of
a lifetime - fabulous! Want to read more then Click here
2013 - Fuerteventura. Mid March - Suzie & Carole fly out Saturday for a short break. Time in the sun (and wind).
Warm and dry and they had a relaxing time.
2012 - Marmaris, Turkey. Suzie & I on our own (again) in June and we return to Turkey for some more relaxation at
a short haul location. Our second visit to Turkey in 12 months made while it is still a (relatively) cheap holiday
location. If you are thinking of going then do it before they join the EEC and spoil it like Greece has.
2011 - Olu Deniz, Turkey. Suzie & I on our own, on another much needed time to relax in a location that doesn't
need a long haul flight. We'd never been to Turkey before but we will be going back. The people are friendly and
only hasstle you if they are trying to sell you something - it can grate at times, but that's just Turkey.
2010 - Albufiera, Portugal. Suzie & I on our own, much needed time to relax in a location that doesn't need a
long haul flight. We'd never been to Portugal before but we will be going back. It's clean, the people are friendly
and provided you master a few basic words and phrases in Portuguese then they don't appear to mind that you only
speak English.
For the story & pics... Click here
2010 - Tenerife, Spain - Suzie & I flew out with Carol and Giuseppe for a week in the sun. Staying in Guayarmina
Princess Hotel, Costa Adeje, Tenerife. A fabulous location with plenty to see and do.
2009 - Montego Bay Resort & Spa, Jamaica. This time it was Suzie & I with our friends Carole & Giuseppe. We
drove to thier home in Nuthall, everything went into the boot of thier Renault Lagoon and Giuseppe drove us to
Gatwick. Virgin got us from the UK to Jamaica (and back) and we spent 2 weeks soaking up the sun on an all inclusive
break in a luxury resort. We all thoroughly enjoyed our holiday but the contrast between the haves and the have nots,
with the resulting high crime levels mean that it's not a place we will be rushing back to. Glad we went, great
holiday , but, been there and done that, other places to see and things to do.
For the story............ Click here
2008 - Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarotte. The 4 of us and both boys took their girlfriends. This holiday was a treat
for Andy's 21st birthday which was marred only by me being made redundant on the Thursday before we left.
2007 - Nissi Beach, Ayia Napa, Cyprus. Phil & Suzie got away for some time together. Weather was kind to us,
warm/hot and dry. Hired a car (Opel Corsa 1.2) to visit Paphos. On the way back we dropped in on my cousin Claude and
and went for a meal at a local taverna where they were obviously well known. Very enjoyable and they had a lovely and
his wife Shirley rather plush bungalow. Unfortunately, we were the last in the family to see them as first Claude and
then a few months later Shirley died. We have fond memories of our time with them that day.
2006 - Fly-drive West Coast USA
Sue & I flew into Phoenix and drove to San Francisco, the long way - taking in the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon,
Zion & Yosemite.
For the story............ Click here
For some pictures.... Click here
2005 - Alcudia, Majorca - This holiday saw us (Phil, Sue, Andy & Mark) staying at the Condesa De La Bahia
hotel. We enjoyed ourselves and liked the hotel but not everybody thinks the same so until I get round to putting
in our account of this holiday why not visit this external link and see how others rate this hotel
Click here
2004 - Pataya, Thailand - our family holiday. Sue & I loved it, and so did Mark, but, Andy hated it!
It was because of this holiday that Mark got so involved in fund raising and website management for the college's
(Landau Forte) trip to Malaysia in 2007.
2003 - Florida, USA - our family holiday, this time accompanied by Fred & Adie. I did all the driving
(I usually do) and we met up with Christine and her family in Busche Gardens at the end of our first week. We then
drove down to St Marco Island for the chill out part of the holiday - the first week had been spent chasing round
the Parks and seeing the Kennedy Space Centre. This turned out to be a great holiday - loads of fun!
1998 - Florida, USA - our first family holiday in the USA. I drove, Sue relaxed and the boys loved it.
First week spent in Orlando, staying in Kissimee, visiting The Parks. Met up with Christine and her family, which
the boys loved. Andy had his birthday while we were ther. The Americans absolutely loved the 2 boys and thought they
were twins. At the end of our first week we drove over to the Kennedy Space Centre and spent a day there before
driving all the way back across the state for Our second week which was spent at St Pete's Beach at the bottom end
of Clearwater Bay. This started our love affair with the USA as we has a great holiday. There's loads to do and for
the kids it is fun, fun, fun!
1994 - Sidari, Corfu - Sue & I with the boys on a family holiday. Great weather, not too expensive on a new private
development. Hired a car for a day and went for a drive around the north end of the island and decided that we had
struck lucky with our location where there was sandy beaches unlike the rest that we saw where it was stoney and rough.
1990 - Cala Bona, Majorca - our first family fly away holiday. The boys were young but they loved it. Sun was
too hot at times and Mark burned the soles of his feet (took years to recover). The locals just loved the boys who
were so well behaved. Suzie and the boys loved the cats roaming wild down by the harbour. A great first holiday abroad
with the boys.
1985 - Estarti, Spain - Sue & I, Karen & Tony have our first holiday abroad. A boozey week in a static caravan,
too hot at times but we didn't suffer like those from Glasgow who fried on their first day and suffered for the next
three. Hired a Opel Corsa for a day and went for a drive around, crossing into France. We had a good time!
Weekend Breaks
Sue & I have grown very fond of our weekend breaks. Sometimes we travel with friends, sometimes just as
a couple, to date we have done the following:-
2014 - Hurghada, Egypt. November and Suzie, Carole & Sue P fly out for a late season week in the sun.
The hotel didn't know what hit them with these three causing chaos for the whole week, starting from the moment they arrived.
First the accommodation wasn't as advertised and they ended up in the show chalet. The locals proved nice and friendly and
loved the ladies giving them preferred service over the Russians staying there. A real shame that the shooting down of a
Russian airplane resulted in the shut down of Egypt as a tourist spot.
2013 - Riga, Latvia. Late November Suzie & Carole fly out Saturday for a 2 night / 2 day city break.
It was cold, wet on the Sunday morning but dried up after lunch but very windy. Monday was still and fine.
Locals not friendly and prices expensive. They enjoyed the trip but won't be going back.
2013 - Salzburg, Austria. September sees Suzie & I on our own fly out for a short break. Stayed in the Europa Hotel,
nice and handy for bus and rail stations. Lots of walking, new town and old town. Not cheap but prices were
generally acceptable if you shop around and don't want to buy clothes.
We did the Sound of Music tour - informative and an opportunity to see local sites and be informed.
Next was the Eagle Nest tour - all Hilter and Nazi info. Glad we did it but not ipressed with our
tour guide.
Last day we hired a car (VW Polo 1.2) and went exploring the Austrian Lake District - a wet day but we stayed dry, got to
tour, and went up the cog dive mountain railway which was excellent, superb views, freezing cold at the top but well
worth the trip.
2012 - Lake Como, Italy - September Sue & I, Carole & Giuseppe flew out for a short break, five days at a hotel on the
West shore of Lake Como, travelling on the ferries across the lake to visit the towns accessed by the (very cheap) ferries.
We walked miles, ate and drank too much and would do it all again, but wouldn't stay at the same hotel which was too much
waiting for god for our liking.
2012 - Florence, Italy - Sue & I flew out at the end of March to celebrate our birthdays and wedding anniversary.
We loved it, walked miles, ate and drank too much and would do it all again....
2011 - Sharm el Sheik, Egypt - Sue & Carol had another "girlie weekend" (actually a week) at the end of March. The
internal civil war was at it's height but they loved it, being spoilt as the only tourists in the resort were the Brits....
2009 - Malaga, Spain - Suzie & I flew out at the end of January for a break after I secured a new job ending my
7 months of unemployment. How did it go? To read the story and see the pictures....
Click here
2008 - Venice, Italy - Sue flew out in early Decemeber 2008 for another "girlie weekend" with Anne and Carol.
How did it go? They loved it, and as a result Suzie and I plan to holiday in Italy sometime soon (work and funds
permitting)....
2007 - Dublin, Ireland - Sue flew out early hours of Friday 9th November 2007 for a "girlie weekend" with Anne,
Carol, Wendy & Suzie P. While they enjoyed their trip Dublin isn't a place that they will be returning to.
2007 - Paris, France - in March 2007 we visited the French capital, covering it mostly on foot with Carol &
Giuseppe. We walked miles and loved it.
2006 - New York, USA - Sue flew out early November 2006 for a "girlie weekend" with Anne, Carol & Zoe. Judging
from Suzie's reaction, she'll be going back there again.
2006 - Waterford, Republic of Ireland - I lead a trip from the UK for bikers on the Honda Deauville UK Owners forum.
Ten motorbikes, mostly solo but some with pillion. Visited Waterford Glass on the first day due to the persistent heavy
rain. Following that we toured southern Ireland visiting The V, Cork and Kinsale among other places. Light rain most of
the time we were there but that was nothing compared to the ride home. Went Hollyhead to Dunleary (Dublin) and returned
Rosslare to Fishguard, from there it was very heavy rain the whole way home.
2006 - Prague, capital of Czech Republic, we visited with Sally & John (who we've not seen since) in the March of
2006. We enjoyed both the trip and their company, but obviously we somehow offended them or their sensibilities. Who
knows? Who cares? Life is too short to dwell on such triviatlities.
2003 - Amsterdam, Holland - the Dutch capital by tram & on foot with Fred in the autumn after going to Florida
with him and Adie earlier in the year.
2003 - Barcelona, Spain - by metro, bus & on foot in March. This time as a group of 6 with Sally & John, Carol &
Giuseppe and ourselves. We walked miles (we usually do) and had a great time sharing an apartment.