Grumpycruiser60plus

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

It was lovely to pop along and see HAL Nieuw Statendam at Newcastle today.

Great to see HAL ships back in UK locations. 

Below is a previous SS. Statendam taken by me in Hamilton Bermuda July 1975. It was my first cruise ship, I had joined her a few weeks earlier in New York working on board as a shop manager ( duty free) happy days/ memories. Spent 6 months on her .Very different today's cruising.

2 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

@kalos

I've been looking at some hotels in Madeira and Malta which are Frank's choices. I thought if I let him choose where he would love to go it would be better.

As you seem to enjoy Madeira I wondered if you could give me any ideas as to good hotels in Funchal, if that's where you stayed of course.

Avril

Hello Avril.  If I may add our favourite Hotel in Madeira. We have stayed at The CliffBay. ( www.portobay.com) twice now, it is a fabulous hotel, next door to The Reid Palace. Various packages available too. Can also recommend excellent local restaurant 's as well. There are other hotels in group also on Madeira.

Good Evening All. Sadly for the last time,  we head for home back to Kent tomorrow.  We have had a very relaxing 2 weeks in the west country,  1st week with son & dil+ grand kids,  weather was a disappointment,  but has improved this past week  in Cornwall, then Devon.  

Tonight's menu.  We started with mackerel (dw) me pork/  cranberry terrine. Both had Haddock filet, followed  by pecan tart & Me the orange  cheesecake.

Pic below.   We have enjoyed all the hotel meals,  it is a treat  to not have to decide which meals for each day normally when at home.

As mentioned previously I will post pictures/ re views over on T.A. Once  settled  back home. 

Hope you have enjoyed the pictures  along the way. And thanks for the likes & quotes. 

Good  afternoon all. 

Today, we are in Exmouth,  taking the extended river cruise up to Topsham ( the tide is right) we like to take any  opportunity to get out onto the water when can. A couple of pics to follow. 

Until  dinner later.

pics later. 

Good Evening again all. 

Today we drove along the coast to Abbottsbury Botanical Gardens,  not been before,  a really good variety of plants/ trees etc to see & photograph. Then on way back, stopped in Lyme  Regis, to stroll along the front &  enjoy an ice cream. 

Tonight's  menu  below...

Started with beef carpacio, dw,had  chickpea,  then salmon for main. Me ...did not  fan either pork or  lamb, so I went ( down market) and had scampi/ chips🤣, followed by lemon possett.   

Good  Evening again all, time for this evenings menu's below, 

Today we went to Bicton Botanical Gardens ( not our 1st. visit), hada wander around, took some more pictures & then a short drive  to Budleigh Salterton ( DW likes to wander the shops) me I sit on the front and or wander about taking pics.,     Tonight we had  chicken starter & bream, followed by the hake mains,the  black berry bavour & the  chocolate walnut  tart.

Good  Evening  all, 

We bade fairweather to Cornwall this morning & after a easy drive up into a sunny/ fairly  breezy Devon & Sidmouth. Always great to arrive here,we feel relaxed  & comfortable at The Victoria.  Dinner menus  below & our choice this evening was salmon rillet,followed  by  the guinea fowl then orange  tart.

Weather looks good for DW birthday tomorrow 🤪. 

Good  Evening all.

Just back from our last evening dinner, tonight I had Duckliver parfait,  followed by Roast Lamb rumb, and finished with west country  cheeses,   DW, had mackerel starter, followed by the stone bass curry. I have to add we have enjoyed all the dishes here, all  very  tasty,served hot and with staff very attentive. Pics below. 

Good Afternoon everyone.  

I will post last night menu & food pictures below,  I'm still having trouble uploading 📷  pics, so will  have to wait until we return home in a weeks time.

Sunday,  we decided to  visit N.T. Cotehere, about 1hr drive away, which is on the banks of the Tamar. The old mill & house/ gardens are very pleasant I deed.

So today is our last day in Cornwall, tomorrow we drive east up into Devon, Sidmouth for a few days at our favourite hotel,mainly to celebrate DW birthday on Tuesday. 

I will be posting  a couple of reviews on TA, also in days ahead, ( if anyone is interested).

7 hours ago, Beckett said:

Up at 5.30am   - no reason - just woke up early.  It's 12c and cloudy here at the moment. The forecast is for an ok weekend before the rain returns on Monday.

 

I'm just watching the news and hearing about multiple stabbings at a shopping mall in Bondi, Sydney. People just out shopping on a busy Saturday afternoon and boom, lives lost and changed forever. So scary. I'm beginning to wonder if we're safe anywhere.

 

@indiana123 How are you feeling today? I do hope you're getting some respite from your pain.

 

@Purdey16 Thanks for the photos - lovely blue sky - and what a surprise you had from your unexpected visitors. Have a Great few days together.

 

@Grumpycruiser60plus How lovely that you're in beautiful Charlestown. I visited there some years ago and could have stayed there forever. I bet it hasn't changed much either. Your photos are really fab and thanks for posting them. Have a great day at The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

 

I hope everyone has a good weekend. Be well. Jane xx

 

 

Good Afternoon everyone. @Becket thanks for the mention, as promised yesterday  I will post last night menu & our choices ( we both had the same fish & fish, but different dessert). 

We are just back from visiting The Lost Garden of Heligan, I took loads of pictures,  but at the moment, can't get them to transfer via WiFi to my tablet & Google.  We then drove along coast to  visit Fowey, very pleasant town, while there we took a river cruise for 45minutes  ( so have had 1 cruise now this year) does that count!!. Again pics b ut they are on 📷. Will try & sort it .

The pictures  now below. 

Good Afternoon everyone.

We have arrived at our hotel,after waving goodbye to family this morning. The weather has decided to be a very pleasant 14* sunny & a light breeze. The hotel staff are very welcoming  & attentive.  

After a couple of cold drinks outside on the sun terrace, we took a walk along   coastal path to Charlestown,  used In shows like Poldark/ The Eagle  has Landed etc. 

It is so nice to be able to enjoy the much needed warmer weather.  

I will post menu/ pics  tomorrow hopefully once we get back from a visit to The Lost Gardens of Heligan,assuming we find them using my sat/nav.

Some pics  to follow for now.

2 hours ago, SeaJane said:

We are currently staying in Polzeath (a couple of miles from Rock). We’ve eaten in the Mariners many times over the years, but have not been there since Paul Ainsworth bought it - he’s certainly put the prices up, but the food looks delicious. We’ve also eaten at Rick Stein’s St Petroc’s In Padstow on several occasions and found the lunch menu very good.
 

The weather has been windy with heavy showers for the last couple of weeks here and sadly we didn’t get to see the eclipse last night due to thick cloud. After last night’s storm, strong winds and torrential rain today is bright and sunny although still very windy. The sea looks spectacular, but it’s a day best enjoyed from indoors rather than walking the cliff paths! 

Good afternoon,  well the sun has made a welcome appearance today, but still very  blustery & a 10*-12* temp. So family  went back to E.P. to see bits .missed on Sunday.  Myself & wife went to St Issac.( port wenn) Doc Martin location.  We arrived quite early,to avoid  the later crowd,  had  a good walk up/ down,  a couple of coffee's ( in berts pub) took some photos (see below), and  returned  to Padstow  for a nice lunch overlooking the harbour. 

Good Afternoon everyone. 

Sunday.  A visit to Eden Project. Weather ( storm killjoy) having an effect meant  getting a little wet once we arrived. So straight to the Biomes. Some pics  below. 

So today, Monday  we were off to Rock opp side of Estuary  for a family lunch at The Mariniers. 

We had several friends ask if we were eating at Rick Stein places. Short answer, no. But we will & are eating at different Paul Anisworth restaurants.

I have food pictures/ menu also  below. 

Hello everyone. 

We arrived in Padstow  yesterday all safe & sound, after an overnight stop at H.I Taunton. The town is fairly  busy as always. This is my DW & I first visit to Cornwall in over 35 yrs. Weather was dull/ raining  yesterday, but bright & breezy today. Storm "Killjoy" is not too evident yet!.  I will post some photos   below( hopefully) but as I am using my phone & not a laptop, I may get some upside down.  They are of the Harbour,  a cross estuary  to Rock, .  

We are off to visit Eden Project  tomorrow,  so will have so.e  better  pics as I will use my digital camera. 

 All for now.

Good Afternoon, everyone, A rare incursion from me. Cornwall must be this years goto place!. we too are off to Padstow in a few weeks time,with family, we are renting a house in the town,close to harbour, for a week. Then as we wave goodbye to Son & Dil+ grandkids, DW & i drive south to a Hotel in St Austell for a few days ( R & R)😇. then drive up into Devon for a few more nights in Sidmouth to stay at our favourite hotel, for my DW birthday. will possible post pics if anyone is interested.

York..  we were up there just a couple of weeks ago, staying at a rented house in Heworth just a 20min stroll into the city. can recommend ...STAYSYORK. the company that we used, very reasonable for the 2 nights we were there. the city was really busy that w/end as the"Ice Sculpture festival" was on. we also experienced Afternoon tea at Bettys with our 2 grandchildren. (aged 7 & 5)  who were impeccably behaved. have added a few pictures below.

Morning All again.   I thought i would share a whatsapp message i received yesterday from my old workmates ( at the funeral business where i last retired from) usually i would not be able to share as they mostly are a bit "rude" for some on this  forum.  But this one struck a cord & i share it now as i did also with friends & family.........Sums up our generation.

our generation.txt

Hello Everyone, Just to say a Happy christmas & healthy new year to you all. I don't often post, but i do keep an eye out on all your posts most days. To those of you on holiday,or about to go soon, enjoy. I look forward to reading about everyone's trials & tribulations, plus the holiday adventures in 24.

We dont have any cruises booked again for next year, but will be holidaying down in Cornwall & devon just after Easter with our elder son,DiL & 2 grandkids. plus a short trip up to York in Feb with them also. I have booked Betty's for afternoon tea with the 2 grandkids ( they are 7 & 5) so that will be fun.

Enjoy the next few days.&i leave you with a image below.

Some more amusing cards, (well i find them amusing). 

And off we go,🤣

And off we go,🤣

3 hours ago, Peanut006 said:

The joys of teenagers!! Were we really like that do you think?

 

I have three grandchildren staying Saturday morning until Sunday teatime(12,10 & 6). Going to see Peter Pan pantomime in Blackpool Saturday night. It should be good, Boy George is Captain Hook. 
Then next Wednesday morning until Thursday teatime I have four grandchildren staying(15,12,10 & 6), just booked to go to Sandcastle Water Park Thursday morning.

 

Its raining here at the moment, a bit of a change from yesterday when it was wall to wall sunshine 

 

Michelle

 

 

Grandkids, we love them really.

3 hours ago, lincslady said:

Maybe the TV companies should find a real expert on cruising - and I don't mean Jane McDonald.

Or..........Susan calman🤣