Home in Time for Tea

As usual, we planned this summer's road trip holiday around a naturally beautiful, beachy destination; this time, Corsica. Beaches, mountain walks, and eating local food were the main items on the agenda. It worked out cheaper to take our Corsica ferries to and from different cities, so we got a nice varied road trip with a totally different route home. We mainly travelled for around 3 hours a day on the journey to and from Corsica. We broke it down each day, stopping for lunch and walks (and shopping) in appealing places.   Klowski and I started with a pleasant little day in Cambridge whilst Richard finished work, then we left from there for Dover. This set the tone for the rest of the trip, not least Klowski's thoughts about where we were at various points ('Cambridge' for at least 80% of the time apparently). Rouen & Le Mans On the way to Le Mans, we stopped in Rouen to eat quiche on the steps outside the magnificent cathedral, and I bored Richard with s...

Stunning Coastal Scenery Near Marseilles Whether you're in Marseilles and you want a little break from the city hubbub, or you're simply after some stunning locations and little beaches off-the-beaten-track along the French Riviera, Cassis village and the Calanques on the South coast in Provence are a must-see if you're in this beautiful area of the South of France.  Calanques are basically little mini fjords within the rugged areas of rocky coastline. They start at Cassis and continue around the coast for a few miles; there are boat trips from Cassis specifically to see this scenery and beaches, and there are walking trails which may be partly closed at busier times to protect the surrounding nature. However you can access some of the individual Calanques very easily from Cassis. We parked half a mile or so up from Cassis as it was a beautiful day and the walk down the steep roads and paths afforded us some magnificent views of the surrounding hillsides and Pr...

Tranquility off the Cote d'Azur - Unspoiled & Undiscovered Islands 'Îles d'Hyères' Fairly undiscovered, and extremely beautiful, these natural and unspoiled little islands just off the Cote d'Azur are absolute gems for those seeking something a little closer to nature in Provence. They are easy to access and make a fantastic day trip and escape from the mainland - perfect for picnics! Perfect place for picnics! If it is tranquil white sand beaches and crystal clear waters you're after, compared to the hubbub of the Provence coast, these unspoiled islands are perfection. Kayaking and various water sports activities are available in summer on Porquerolles and Port Cros, as well as cycling, and the little villages and harbours buzz with activity (and ice-cream, crepes and other sweet treats) in spring and summer without being overwhelmingly busy. The islands are largely undiscovered by non-French visitors and a trip to any one of them can feel li...

Making the Most of Budapest's Ancient & Therapeutic Thermal Waters... and Hundreds of Other Low-Budget Attractions! Historic 'Buda' with its much-adored medieval churches, bath houses and funicular railway - and Neo-classical 'Pest' with its flurry of shops and café culture - both make up the exciting city of Budapest. The wide and graceful Danube river glides through the elegant city separating these two halves which are linked by a series of stunning bridges. Lukacsz Baths - Outdoors at Night Of all the wonderful things to do and see in Budapest, the thermal baths are possibly the most famous. The city enjoys a wide range of thermal springs throughout Buda and Pest, and therefore a wide range of bath houses and spas - a handful of which are over 400 years old and built by the Turks - founders of bathing culture in Budapest, who harnessed the area's therapeutic natural hot springs.   The Rudas baths...

Sick of the sand? Summer holiday prices too high? Prone to sunburn? Enjoy These Unique & Exciting Swimming Activities for Adventurous & Relaxing Holidays ! From warm alpine thermal waters to a dip in a fresh lake, swimming in places other than the sea offers an exhilarating way to appreciate stunning landscapes, immerse yourself in nature, or just splash around a lot, somewhere new! Some of the most exciting & unusual places to swim that are not at the beach are as follows:   Corsican Vasques Corsica can be extremely hot in the summer and a trip up into the mountains to bathe in a cool natural pool higher up is deservedly refreshing. The natural pools dotted around the island are called vasques and are in such beautiful scenic locations, they are great to visit even if you do get cold feet when you arrive (pun intended - your feet will certainly feel somewhat fresh after dipping them in, as will your entire body when you base-jump from ...

We had booked four nights in a hotel in Corsica and two nights in a hotel in Eze on the Cote d'Azur. The rest was up to divine intervention (or knowing where the sun was shining!) I couldn't wait to get some holiday heat and sun, and wear the summer clothes which had simply gone into hibernation at the back of my wardrobe. As I sat on the bed thinking of how hot it would be in the South of France and Corsica in peak season, I started to wonder how hard it would be to find hotels during this busy time of year. Time would tell. We've always got the car...! We set off in the car on our road trip from Dover at a reasonable hour (you'll see this is a rareity in itself if you read my other road trips!) Then we headed South...   ~ Vichy ~ First stop, Vichy in the centre of France, famed for its Nazi occupation in WW2. We came across the Celestins spa water source and figured this must be a volcanic spa town. Yes - it is! We stayed at ...