Off to Spain!
It has been a tough year, and we set off to Spain feeling very tired and drained. We are visiting several new places and, despite the tiredness, looking forward immensely to the trip.... READ MORE
Bayham Abbey
I wanted to visit Bayham Abbey because I had come across the Abbey when I was making Green Lewisham. The original Abbey was founded in Brockley, in Lewisham, and then moved down to... READ MORE
Bodiam Castle
We were heading back to London after a few very enjoyable days in Rye, but on the way stopped to see Bodiam Castle, and Bayham Old Abbey. They are both fascinating and it... READ MORE
The Church of St Thomas in Winchelsea
We had walked in the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and decided to take a quick look at Winchelsea. Our first impression was that it was similar to Rye, although much quieter, but then... READ MORE
Rye Harbour
We drove out or Rye, along the River Rother, and down to Rye Harbour, only about two miles outside Rye. When we left there was a seagull on the car, and yet another... READ MORE
Corners in Rye
This post is about a few corners in Rye, bits and pieces discovered while walking round. READ MORE
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The Reina Sofia in Madrid
We settled into in an AirBnB on the Calle de la Sombrereria, in the middle of Madrid, and on our first day we decided to visit the Reina Sofia in Madrid. The museum was just a ten-minute walk away from … Continued
The road from La Granja to Madrid
The days in La Granja were wonderful but it was time to move on and take the road from La Granja to Madrid.
The Royal Glass Factory in La Granja
The Royal Glass Factory in La Granja is just down the road from the Paradore. It dates from the 18th century and it is absolutely fascinating – do visit if you are in the area.
The Fountains at La Granja
There twenty six large fountains at La Granja, each of which is based on different mythological characters. Sadly they only play on selective days during the year and were not on when we visited. Nevertheless they are impressive and formality … Continued
Avenues and Woods at La Granja
Beyond the formal gardens with parterres there are avenues and woods. Inside the avenues and higher up the hillside the trees seem freer. I loved these areas which were less controlled and where I could just enjoy the trees in … Continued
The Formal Gardens of La Granja
The formal gardens of La Granja are on three sides of the palace. The gardens cover over 1,500 acres and I loved what I saw but didn’t manage to see everything. Let’s start!
The Palace of La Granja
We booked into the Paradore of La Granja de San Ildefonso for three days as a relaxing break from sightseeing. The ‘town’ is actually the Royal Palace of La Granja with its grounds. The town around the palace includes the … Continued
Travelling from Zamora to La Granja
Travelling from Zamora to La Granja was a fabulous day, packed with wonderful sights! We stopped in Toro, visited two amazing castles and saw some of the scenery in the mid-west of Spain. We had a last look at the … Continued
Toro on the Duero
We spent a wonderful week in Zamora and it was time to move on to our next stay which was to be a few days in the Paradore in La Granja. The aim was to rest for a few days … Continued
A week in Zamora
It is easy to spend a week in Zamora which is a very old walled town on a promontory overlooking the River Duero. The border with Portugal is about an hour away. The town is filled with pleasures of all … Continued