ROMANIA (Braila) -Christmas 2009

I went to Romania to visit my friend and her family at Christmas 2009. The flight over was delayed 12 hours at Stansted, which did'nt start me off in a very good holiday mood.

I eventually arrived at midnight in Bucharest the capital city of Romania. I still needed to travel another 3 hours to Braila, but stayed overnight in a hotel. Next day travelled with my friend by mini-bus to Braila where she lives. The roads were bad and very icy, after some heavy snowfalls a few days earlier. So I was really hoping they had no more before I went back a week later. Didn't travel too far that week, as it was too cold and such long distances to get to see anywhere there. I helped cook the Christmas meal, which was Vegetarian!. I made a Nut Roast to have with the Vegetables. They all seemed to enjoy it anyway. A different kind of Xmas to the usual ones in the UK obviously. The Flight back was on time but was very tiring with so much travel, having a three hour drive back after landing.

Since I returned home the Snow & Ice followed me back here to the UK!

CAMBRIDGE WEEKEND- July 2009

This was my first ever visit to Cambridge, on what was probably the best weekend of the year weatherwise! Warm & Sunny . What more could you wish for!! Ideal for photos at least and Cambridge certainly has plenty of Photo opportunities at every turn you make. The colleges are really breathtaking and then the River Cam and the people Punting on the river.

Of course it was very crowded around the City with tourists and students, but you don't notice that too much, as you are viewing all the sights in the City. Very Impressing indeed.

I did'nt go on any River trips, but did do a Sightseeing bus ride, taking in all the famous sights.

I certainly recommend a visit to anyone who hasn't been there before, if you love seeing buildings such as these. I stayed on the outskirts of the City in a B&B, which just needed a bus ride into the city. So avoiding the high car parking charges....should you be able to park!.

WILTSHIRE VISIT- Avebury & Stonehenge

This was a short visit to Wiltshire, on way to Cornwall in July 2009.

The visits Included Avebury village & Stone Circle and then Stonehenge.

I found Avebury the most Interesting of the two places.

The RedLion Inn was a lovely thatched Inn which has a few paranormal stories connected with it. Then opposite is the Avebury Stone Circle, a must see if you are in that vacinity.

These stones also have a few stories of the supernatural connected with them.

The village is also very scenic with the church & thatched cottahes nearby.

Later on I drove to Stonehenge to see the Stones for the first time.

They appeared actually much smaller than I had imagined them to be, but I'm glad I saw them.

Also I had expected to be seeing them much further away than I did, but you're really quite close to them, without being able to touch them. As always there were a lot of tourists there.

But taking photos was not a problem at all.

CORNWALL & DEVON HOLIDAY -July 2009

These are just a few of the Photos taken during my July 2009 holiday in Cornwall & Devon.

Though I've visited these places many times, I still love going there and always find places to visit, or re-visit favourite parts of those counties. The photos above feature Port Issac , Lost Gardens of Heligan and Bedruthran Steps and Watergate Bay in Cornwall. The Devon photos include Dartmoor and its ponies, Paignton Zoo , Buckfast Abbey and the River Dart, near Dartmouth. I took too many photos to Include on here though, so just selected a few.

The weather was mixed that week, though to be honest, the last few years, our UK Summers have been very dissapointing Indeed. So it's a case of taking your pick when to holiday here.

You just have to make the most of it and see what you can. But whatever the weather was, I still enjoyed that week and the photos turned out well too.

In Cornwall my base was Bodmin, at my favourite B&B there "Trebray House".

In Devon, I stayed in Torquay, at the "Keth'la Hotel" in Belgrave Rd.

Both very friendly places to stay and very comfortable.