Hotel du Vin – Winchester

sitting room

A bit on our hotel…this is a lovely place. From the moment we walked through the doors I was charmed. It is a Georgian building dating from 1715 – I’m not sure what the building’s original function was, but the complex consists of a few small buildings. There are only 24 rooms none with room numbers but all with names based on wines – ours is Freixenet. We have a lovely sitting terrace outside of our door which is along a pathway lined with huge trees, shrubberies, smaller plants and flowers – delightful! This is the perfect spot to spend a few days before the cruise.

Winchester, England, UK – July 28





Arthur's Round Table

Winchester day 4

Today is our last in Winchester and we have a few tourist spots yet to hit. The first is King Arthur’s Round Table in The Great Hall - the only remaining part of Winchester Castle. There’s not much to this, but it is an attraction of Winchester and we are in Winchester so we check it out, it dates from the 13^th century.

Another of Winchester’s attractions is its cathedral. Winchester Cathedral is Europe’s longest medieval Cathedral, here we wander around the grounds a bit as it is Sunday and services prevent us from checking out the interior.






cathedral grounds


Another of Winchester’s claims to fame is being home to the house where Jane Austin died – which of course we walk past. It is basically a plaque on a wall on a house. This is a private house now.

We some how find ourselves at a pub and tuck in to our version of Sunday lunch – fish and chips. Not before getting a bit of a drenching with a short lived downpour – NOTHING like yesterday – NOTHING, but enough to make us thankful for our umbrella. I really appreciate the pub culture here – filled with kids, dogs, old, young, and plenty of characters. We have seen more than one group of “little-old-ladies” out for a rye and ginger at their local. Of course it’s a culture of drinking, but seems more of socializing and getting out – at least that is what it seems like to me.



cathedral

We also wandered through Winchester’s farmers’ market and ate our first water buffalo burger – I’m pretty sure it was beef.




Although we put in a valiant effort, in the end our efforts were in vain to spend our last afternoon here on our patio. The rain kept coming – oh and nap time did at one point steal my attention. I did my best to get in some post nap-time blogging out there, but once again Mother Nature got the best of me. When we were able to sit out there we were able to hear the hotel’s jazz group playing in the courtyard – cool




waiting for Sunday lunch



Dinner tonight was at our hotel. The surroundings couldn’t be more attractive for dinner or a drink.




passing the time waiting for Sunday lunch

pub from  other side of the canal

Dinner at the hotel was underwhelming so we had to go out for one last pint.

Winchester, England, UK – July 27

waiting out the rain - gorgeous scenery even in the rain

Day 3 here in Winchester.

Rain with a high of 22 degrees

Stonehenge was the main attraction today although Mother Nature came in a close second! The day began with a leisurely morning on the terrace under a hot and sunny sky despite a forecast of 100% chance of rain. It was hard to believe that the day would end with us returning to the hotel as 2 drowned rats, but that was what the day had in store for us.




rain stopped for a brief moment

It was about an hour’s train ride from Winchester to get to Salisbury which is the departure point for Stonehenge. We hop on to a HOHO (hop-on-hop-off) bus for a tour of Salisbury and anther 8K on to Stonehenge. Stonehenge was pretty much exactly as we had expected – a busy site wandering around the prehistoric monoliths that make up the site. We spent

Salisbury cathedral

 about an hour there which was plenty. We hopped on the HOHO back to Salisbury for lunch and a visit to the city’s cathedral.  The Anglican cathedral dates back to the 13^th century and is the tallest church spire in the UK and the world’s largest clock.

Stonehenge



my kind of commute

We take the train back to Winchester  and walk back to the hotel in the torrential rain to get ready for dinner. By the time we are heading out for dinner the rain has weakened.

Winchester, England, UK – July 26

terrace outside our room

Hotel du Vin

 I’m pretty sure we slept for at least 10 hours last night – I don’t really know when we went to sleep…I remember sitting in bed watching a bit of TV and the next thing I knew it was the morning. We were tired by the end of the day yesterday, but I don’t think THAT tired. Jet-lag I guess or vacation. 




We take a leisurely morning reading the paper and blogging outside on our terrace. The fact that our room has a terrace and a Nespresso coffee machine makes this room priceless in my mind.



room

Our first stop after the Winchester travel info office is the Bishop on the Bridge pub that we noticed yesterday. This is a bustling place right beside the Itchen River and the town’s river-walk. Fortunately we are there early enough to get a table river-side for a couple pints and lunch. The pub culture is lovely – old and young (including children), men and women, human and animal (plenty of dogs here) chatting, drinking, eating and enjoying each other’s company. So far we have paid around 6 dollars for a pint.

We finally make it to a grocery store for sundries and back to the room for some terrace time. We are taking advantage of what looks like the tail end of England’s heat wave – rain is forecasted for tomorrow; I suspect (hope) that it isn’t a Calgary torrential, capable of flooding rain (nope I haven’t forgotten…yet), but a misty, British, romantic rain.

Winchester, England, UK – July 25

blogging

After an overnight flight from Calgary-Vancouver-London we were thrilled to find ourselves at our Winchester hotel after a LONG travel day. I thankfully slept more on this flight than I probably ever have on a plane (6 of the 9 hours) – the steak and few glasses of wine likely didn’t hurt. Winchester is about an hour south of London, so by the time we arrive it is about 3:00 and we aren’t dead tired. Hmmm…what to do?? Let’s see…we think a pub is in order. We stroll around a bit and find ourselves at the Wykeham Arms. I am thrilled to find a cider,  Stowford Press here that is delightful. This pub is what I have in my mind as a typical British pub, with the requisite cast of characters. One older man when asked how he was when entering the pub replied “fairly suicidal” – I’m pretty sure and certainly hope this was a joke everyone laughed.

After a bit more strolling, another pint and dinner we are done for the day.

Winchester will be our base for the next 4 days until our cruise begins on Monday.

Isles and Fjords cruise, London to London

Chris and I are off on vacation in a few days for 3 weeks, travelling from London to London.  We will be spending a few days in Winchester which in the South East of England before boarding the Oceania Marina for a 12 day cruise through ports in England, Scotland, Norway, and Ireland. We are ending our vacation in New York where we will spend a few days before returning to Canada.

Vancouver Island, BC - Aug 5

Heather and Bryan's house

Getting up at 5AM usually isn't anything I do without an alarm, but not today - wide awake before the sun was up after about 4 hours of sleep.  I feel fine until about mid afternoon when I am pooped!
 

We are spending the next 2 days with our friends Heather and Bryan at their new house on Vancouver Island - about 1 hr 15 min north of Victoria.  We spend a leisurely morning watching Olympics (our first real Olympics watching time),lounging on the deck admiring the fantastic view and eating breakfast.  By 11:15 we are on the water.
 

seal island

We cruise around the islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland.  One of our stops takes us to Seal Island(named for obvious reasons), to Tent Island (also for obvious reasons, although not pictured) for some swimming, to Montague Bay for lunch, Cowichan Bay for groceries and  boating  along with Heather’s son and his wife.  It was a wonderful afternoon in the sun.  I even took a bit of a nap in the boat’s sleeping area.  I know this part has a name, but for the life of me can’t remember. It’s basically the nose of the boat.

We spend the evening eating a wonderful dinner prepared by Heather’s son and his wife, drinking wine and playing pool (when was the last time I did that??)  It was a delightful day!!




post boat nap

Istanbul, Turkey - Aug 4

Canada bound!  Thankfully our flight is late enough in the day that we are able to sleep until about 9:00.  It’s a whole day of travelling ahead of us.  Hopefully there will be some sleep on one of the 3 planes we will be on.

We have only done the drive from the airport in the dark and the light confirms for us what a beautiful city Istanbul is.  The old city is cramped and congested, but that is the charm of it.  Once we are out of the old city the drive is calm and quick.  Ii is also incredibly green.  Both sides of the road are grass or parks and the boulevard is full of flowers. 

We agree that Turkey is a comfortable place.  People we encounter are mostly service industry people, but that is who we typically encounter wherever we go.  Here we get none of the European lack of interest.  People aren’t pushy, but are always around if you need them.  The shops are a bit different.  People always want to give you their ‘best price’, but aren’t at all in your face – nothing like Egypt or India.  In fact, yesterday we bought some Turkish delight and didn’t talk to a soul except for a sample and to pay.  Most of the service people shake your hand and some even introduced themselves by name.

To answer a few questions from comments…

-          Turkish cider was OK…quite sweet and served over ice.  Don’t think I’ll have one again.

-          Olive oil…not sure what combination we liked best.  There was a oil infused with chillies which was quite hot and tasty, one infused with rosemary that was a bit too bitter.

-          Gambling… 3 of a kind pays 30 to 1, straight flush pays 40 to 1.  Chris typically plays $10, I play $5.  In the end we were ahead by $400.

-          Chris staying humble…as humble as he ever is!

Istanbul, Turkey - Aug 3

By 8:45 we are off the ship and an hour later we are in our hotel room.  We take it easy today, wander the old town a bit where our hotel is, shop a bit, eat some Turkish food, try a Turkish cider.

Istanbul, Turkey - Aug 2

sailing into Istanbul

35 - not too humid at all

 IS - TAN - BUL!!!!!!!  I am THRILLED to be here.  It was fantastic to sail into the Bosphorus Straight this morning to see the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Galata Tower and Bridge and all of the Istanbul skyline.  Typically we sail into port first thing in the morning, so it’s easily possible to miss the sail in.  Plus most ports aren’t exactly beautiful – usually the ship docks in an industrial container port.  Today we were in at noon.  That meant a leisurely morning (good thing after the 2AM casino night yesterday) watching the Istanbul skyline come into focus.

Medusa head

sistern









After a room service lunch of Spaghetti Bolognese and a glass of wine (also delightful as we sail) we are off on a tour of some of the lesser known Istanbul landmarks as we have been to Istanbul before.  We have also found that these ‘not-so-popular’ tours are filled with people who come back to the bus on time, don’t take a million photos and are generally a pleasure to tour with – today is no exception.





mosque

stormy skies

Chora Church

Chora Church - a church that is no longer a place of worship, but a museum is where we first stop.  It was built in the 5^th century and was converted to a mosque in the 16^th century by the Ottomans.  Although it was converted into a mosque the Christian frescos were not destroyed, but covered with plaster and wood.  This seems like a very civilized way to ‘get-rid’ of another religion.  It is lucky because these frescos are stunning.  The frescos here were painted by the same artists that painted ones we saw on a previous trip to Turkey in Trabzon – one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.  These frescos are in much better shape.




spice market

Next we visit a mosque which isn’t all that impressive.  It is conveniently located next to our stop at the Spice Market, so that’s likely why we stopped.  The spice market is more than spices.  It’s basically a small souk – small stalls one next to the other selling spices here, but other things also.



Next is a visit to the cistern.  This is one thing Chris saw when he was here 20 years ago, but I’ve never seen.  It is deep underground with many columns.  Built in the 6th century this cistern was used as a water filtration system for the adjacent palace.

Unfortunately this is our last day of the ship.  It’s been a great 15 days.  As usual I’m happy to be heading home, but sad to be leaving a wonderful place where I’ve felt like a princess.  We have one day on our own in Istanbul tomorrow followed by 2 with our friends Heather and Bryan on Vancouver Island ahead of us.  I am terribly thankful that we have no early flights.  I heard someone say today that their wake-up call is at 2:30AM!  WOW.

Kuşadasi, Turkey - Aug 1

33, but not too humid

August – WOW…I won’t even say it.

It’s another early start for us as we begin day 1 of 4 in Turkey.  My first thought as I step onto the deck this morning is how much I love Turkey.  All it takes this morning is a little less humidity and I’m in love all over again.  Forget anything I’ll see, smell, do, taste or hear…I FEEL love through the mere fact that my skin isn’t glistening.

lion feet on theatre seats

As we’ve been to Kuşadasi before and saw the main attraction Ephesus we opt for a more obscure less popular tour to 2 ancient sites.

likely the only wildlife we'll see this trip

Miletus theatre

ruins at Didyma

The first of these 2 ancient sties is Miletus.  Miletus is an ancient Greek city on the west coast of Turkey.  The site we visit has been under excavation since the 1960s, but only 10% of it has been uncovered – that is truly the amazing part of the visit.  Sure the site is beautiful and interesting, but to think what we can see which seems vast is only a small fraction compared to what is still under the ground is a bit mind blowing.  I suppose when the guide describes this as a city where 100 thousand people used to live it makes a bit more sense.  Miletus was constructed in the third century BC by the Greeks and expanded by the Romans in the second century AD.  We (a group of 11) are pretty much the only ones here – lovely especially given the fact that there are 300 tour buses headed to Ephesus!

Medusa head

Roman baths

Didyma is our next ancient site.  The name Didyma means twins – it is the site of 2 temples and orcles of the twins Atremis (goddess of the hunt and Apollo god of music and the arts.)  This site is a lot different than Miletus.  This site is my definition of ancient ruins.  It’s very much Greek – as the guide described it…the area, Turkey and Greece were pretty much the same place except for geography – gods were worshiped, temples were built, cities were constructed.  Here we see the temple, wells where the oracles spent time and carvings of griffins, Medusa and other figures of mythology.  It’s been pretty great to hear as many stories as we have this trip about the Greeks and their god and goddesses – while these are often bizarre stories they are highly entertaining.

The afternoon is lunch, laundry, drinks at the pool, a nap, room service pre-dinner snacks and enjoying the deck.  At one point while out on the deck about 8 fighter jets fly overhead…not exactly the same feeling as when they fly over in Calgary during the Stampede.

Rhodes, Greece - July 31


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I am melting

HOTTER and even more HUMID



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part of the 300 step climb

Up and off the boat before 8:00, today’s adventure takes us first to the Acropolis of Lindos.  Lindos is a town an hour’s drive away from the port.  The archaeological site is high, high upon a hill which means a lot of climbing – donkeys are available for those who don’t want to climb.  It’s really not that bad especially when we are going as a group with our guide.  Even if we wanted to go quickly there would be no way considering the mammoth crowd.  I don’t know if this is a usual crowd, but to me the crowd seems huge.  The path to the top narrowed in parts so only 2 people could fit – one in each direction.  That caused some pretty significant traffic jams.  And…to top it all off everyone was drenched.  I’ve been to some pretty hot places with some pretty drenched folks, but I’ve never seen men with wet pants.  Shirts sure, but pants??  The view from the top was pretty amazing.  Rhodes has a very beautiful coastline and neat little towns to kick around - definitely on my ‘to return to list’.

After lunch is a walking tour of the town of Rhodes, in and around the fortress walls.  The narrow streets are lined with shops and cafes.  There’s really not much else to see other than the Grand Masters Palace.


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Palace



The palace was built in the 1300s by the Knights of Rhodes.  After the island was captured by the Ottomans, it was used as a fortress.  The original palace was destroyed 1856. When the Kindgom of Italy occupied Rhodes in 1912, the Italians rebuilt the palace.  The palace is also likely where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood – probably 100 feet high.  It was a statue built just after 300 BC of the Greek god Helios.  It is one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.  The commonly held belief is that it was at the Rhodes harbour.  There are also ancient stories of it lying broken after an earthquake.  If it had fallen at the harbour it would have disappeared into the sea.  In the palace there are also many mosaics telling stories of Greek mythology.  These mosaics were brought by the Italians from Italy.  They are in very good shape and are almost entirely in tact. 




next year??

We stay on in town for some calamari and beer at a Greek taverna and a bit of shopping.  On the way back we see an enormous yacht (238 feet) in the harbour – maybe that’ll be next year’s trip.



calamari

Limassol, Cyprus - July 30

HOT and humid

Today's tour is in the morning when we visit a couple of archaeological sites.  Both are relatively reconstructed, but some elements are original and the parts that are reconstructed give a good idea of how the area once was.

We also visit a small village, taste the local wine, enjoy a local beer and shop a bit.  As usual it is smoking hot and humid. 

The afternoon is spent on the ship - a quick shower, lunch, a few drinks by the pool and a siesta.  We sail by about 3:00 which is lovely.  My daily siesta is al fresco...today out deck is so delightful once we are sailing I sleep for 2 hours outside!  The deck chair plus a couple of pillows and I am in my glory!  Not sure how I'll replicate this at home??