Category: Travel

Taranto. Italy.

Last port of call for us.

Straddling two harbours and set beside the deep blue waters of the Ionian, Taranto is an unpretentious city with a thriving fish market, fabulous restaurants, a great beach and delicious, huge and inexpensive ice creams.

A wander round the city, followed by a walk along the seafront walk and a swim in the sea was the order of my day. Then back to the ship and the sail back to Malt; also the end of my cruise.

This was the first time I had sailed with P&O. It was medium budget; you got what you payed for. It was also good fun. As a solo traveller I made a few good friends for the week and had a blast!

Next cruise I would like to try Cunard; specifically the transatlantic to New York.

Split. Croatia.

Next port of call on our travels was Split in Croatia.

Grgur Ninski statue in Split

Split was a whole mash up of architecture and history: ancient ruins, open-air flea markets, centuries-old cathedrals; a cobblestone city frozen in time. And just beyond the Adriatic Sea, with it’s picturesque beaches and turquoise waters.

A wonder around a very hot Split, sustained by the best ice creams ever and back to my ship for the next port of call.

Valletta. Malta.

Grand Harbour, Valletta.

Today I took a huge walk down memory lane when I re-visited the cut of Valletta in Malta. I spent time here as a teenager with my Parents in the early eighties. I had just finished my o’levels and the summer in Malta was a reward for all the hard study I put in.

Valletta is the tiny capital of the Mediterranean island nation of Malta. It’s a walled city dating from the 1500s, built on a peninsula by the Knights of St. John, a Roman Catholic order.

I took the glass lift up to the Upper Barrakka Gardens

Upper Barrakka Gardens

When I came in 1982 this was the place where the local people would come out to socialise in the evenings, walking around in their best clothes, chatting, flirting and generally being seen. I loved it. In the day it was somewhere to grab a bit of welcome shade in the heat of the day.

I walked out of the gardens and found the hotel we stayed in; still there, unaltered apart from a vibrant little cafe underneath where I had a coffee and ice cream.

I then wandered the streets, soaked up the atmosphere and the memories before heading to the cruise ship I was due to pick up to travel around the beautiful Mediterranean coastline.

https://www.pocruises.com/cruise-destinations/malta-cruises

AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU.

Day two of my Poland trip was to the Auschwitz and Birkenau Nazi Concentration Camps. I booked the trip through the GetYourGuide App. Booking is easy and they pick you up and drop you off either from your hotel or a designated nearby meeting spot.

Auschwitz concentration camp was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II and the Holocaust.

Between 1941 and 1945, six million Jewish men, women and children were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. Their attempt to murder all the Jews in Europe, shook the foundations of civilisation.

Auschwitz.

Birkenau

This was a really hard day. It is guided tours only and I can’t begin to describe how good our guide was. It’s a hard place to visit. Sobering, devastating. It is so quiet and still. You could feel the horror seep into your bones. The Holocaust Memorial Day theme for 2024 is ‘Fragility of Freedom’ and there was a feeling of fragility of life in these now deserted camps.

When the tour had finished our guide highlighted the importance of visitors to the camp in keeping the memory of the Jewish people and the dreadful atrocities they suffered at the hands of the Nazis alive. I will never forget after that visit.

Easyjet. Krakow Poland.

A quick city break with Easyjet to Krakow in Poland this week.

As with previous EasyJet holidays the whole process was smooth and easy, from booking to travelling. As a solo traveller this is always important.

I had pre- booked hotel transfer on arrival in Kraków airport through EasyJet and initially there was no taxi driver holding a card with my name on. Slight panic set in, especially as it was quite late at night, but I asked one of the other drivers and he rang mỳ designated driver and checked he was on the way. My first experience of the kindness and friendliness of the Polish people.

I stayed at the Hotel Maksymilian in Kraków. Clean, comfortable and with amazing breakfasts.

Day one was spent exploring Krakow Old Town, easily walkable but comfortable trainers needed. First stop was the Main Square.

Boasting magnificent architecture the square is a vibrant medley of café’s, museums, clubs, pubs, music bars, souvenir shops, historical landmarks, hotels and hostels.

Next was a trip back to medieval Poland with a visit to Wawel Royal Castle and Cathedral, seat of medieval Polish power and now housing the country’s premier art collection.

Tadeusz Kościuszko Monument Polish and American hero of independence.
The Wawel Dragon; a famous dragon in Polish mythology who lived in a cave at the foot of Wawel Hill

After a walk along the beautiful Vistula river, the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, it was back to the Main Square and an early dinner. Food and drink was affordable and very good. A main meal and a drinks came in at approximately £22. Shattered it was an early night at the hotel.

The Vistula.

I had another day in Kraków, but a quick note on the transfer back to the airport. EasyJet always email your pick up time 24 hours in advance and as with previous trips the transport arrived promptly on departure morning for a smooth transfer back to the airport.

The Lightless Sky by Gulwali Passarlay.

Photograph courtesy of The Grove Theatre.

Gulwali Passarlay was at The Grove Theatre Eastbourne last night talking about his book The Lightless Sky, a Q&A event put on by East Sussex Libraries.

Gulwali, who fled Afghanistan and endured a terrifying journey in the hands of people smugglers talked about his passage to the UK, life in the UK in the early days of his arrival and of his life now. One of the most charming people I have met, the evening was relaxed, informative and a delight.