Quirky Traveller's Tales

Any seasoned traveller will tell you that Morocco is famous for its confusing medinas (the older area of a city) and even the most confident of visitors are likely to get lost wandering around these wonderfully perplexing places.

Have no fear though, losing your way is all part of the fun on a trip to Morocco and with a number of ways to get yourself back on track again, why not embrace the unknown and take the opportunity to really immerse yourself in North African life?

Here are some top tips from Audley Travel for finding your way if you get lost in one of Morocco’s medinas:

1.  In each city, make sure you know how to get back to your hotel from a main tourist site, then ask for directions to this area if you get lost. In Marrakesh, for example, ask for directions back to the Djemaa El Fna.

2.  Take a photo of easily identifiable landmarks near to your hotel and use these as a guide if you get lost. Taller buildings that can be clearly spotted throughout the city are best.

3.  Keep your hotel address handy when out and about. As Arabic is the official language of Morocco, ask your hotel to write the address in Arabic for you before you leave. It is also worth writing it down in French as this too is widely spoken.

4.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help, there are always plenty of friendly people around. But perhaps ask a stall owner – someone behind a counter is less likely to accompany you on your onward journey!

5.  Don’t panic!  The sprawling alleyways and seemingly endless twists and turns of Morocco’s medinas can seem a bit intimidating and overwhelming if you do find yourself lost, but never fear, we haven’t heard of anyone not making it back to their hotel yet!

If you use these tips, you will get back on track eventually and, in the meantime, enjoy your surroundings –  it’s all part of a trip to Morocco!

This post is brought to you by Audley Travel, an award–winning tour operator specialising in tailor-made trips and small group tours for the discerning traveller, to over 80 countries around the world.

As drivers hurtle up and down the M6 to and from the Lake District and Scotland it’s easy to miss out on some of the north of England’s most interesting sights.  Lancashire is an incredibly diverse county with vast areas of charming countryside, rural villages, historic towns and, in Blackpool, one of this country’s most iconic beach resorts.  Here are seven reasons to take a quick detour off the M6 in Lancashire and savour a few of the delights of this ancient region – you will be well-rewarded.

Leighton Hall: a short drive from Junction 35 takes you to the beautiful home of the Gillow family, one of Lancashire’s most famous names, designers and purveyors of quality furniture to the gentry and others of refined taste.  This warm and welcoming house is crammed full of antiques and quirky nick-nacks.  It has a charming walled garden laid out with fruit and vegetables, a little maze and a glorious hebaceous border.  Set in a graceful hollow the views of the Lake District fells and Morecambe Bay are outstanding.

Carnforth Station Heritage Centre: down the road from Leighton Hall, on the A6, you are transported back to the age of steam, when smuts got in your eye and a train’s whistle was the signal for a journey to unexplored areas of the country. Run by knowledgeable volunteers, the Centre traces the vital history of freight and passenger rail in the area.  However, it’s the connection with that classic B&W British weepie ‘Brief Encounter’ that brings visitors from all over the world.  Filmed during WWII, it tells the story of ill-fated lovers kept apart by the upright morals of 1940s England.  You can watch the movie, see stills from the filming and have a sandwich in the meticulously recreated ‘Refreshment Room’, where any minute Stanley Holloway might pop in for a quick cuppa …

Lancaster Castle: get off at Junction 33 or 34 and take time to visit one of England’s most historic buildings.  Looking down over the city and River Lune, it has a solid and authoritarian air, much as it would have done in John of Gaunt’s day.  Modified as a Court and Prison, there’s a fascinating tour taking in the 12^th Century Keep, the Witches Tower, the old cells, the Crown Court and graceful  Shire Hall.   A stroll along the nearby river takes you to the excellent Maritime Museum, where Lancaster’s involvement in the slave trade is told along with more gratifying stories of this old port.

Lancaster Castle – photo c/o Visit Britain

The Forest of Bowland:  in the little maze of narrow lanes and rolling hillsides to the east of Preston (J32) it’s easy to get lost awhile and forget the hectic pace of modern life.  Wander along the main street of pretty Chipping or have lunch in the well-known Inn at Whitewell.  Covering over 300 square miles, this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has over 500 listed buildings and 18 scheduled monuments.  One of its most impressive landmarks is Pendle Hill, near the home of the infamous Lancashire Witches.

More things to see and do in the Forest of Bowland in this podcast:

Rivington Pike: easily spotted from the M6 (Junction 27/28) with its Beacon, Tower and aerials, it’s the summit of Winter Hill, on the Pennine Moors.  On a clear day you can see Blackpool Tower, the Lake District mountains, the Welsh mountains and, across the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man.  The Beacon is part of England’s early warning system and the Tower was built as a hunting lodge in the 1700s.  Further down are the recently restored ‘Lost Gardens of Rivington’, originally laid out for Victorian industrialist Lord Lever.  At the foot of the hill you can get refreshments at enormous Rivington Hall Barn, weekend gathering place for bikers showing off their immaculately-kept shiny motorbikes.

Rivington Pike Tower – photo by John Darch

Hopefully you’ll be tempted off the busy M6 in Lancashire and tarry awhile at one or more of these fascinating places …

A shorter version of this article originally appeared in my Visit Britain Superblog section.

2013 looks set to be one of the best years to gaze up into the skies and be awestruck by nature’s very own fireworks display.  Here are some of the key dates for stargazing in 2013.  Make a note in your diary, clean the lens of your telescope or brush off your binoculars and better still, book a holiday somewhere different for the Greatest Show Above Earth.

Stargazing events 2013 – imgur.com

Apparently many of us in Europe, Africa, Australia and most of Asia will be able to see the partial Eclipse of the Moon in April, but not if you’re in North America. If you want to experience May’s ‘Annular Eclipse of the Sun’ then Papua New Guinea, along with some of the nearby Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean or southern Australia look like your best bet for a memorable holiday. If you’re lucky enough to be in Hawaii you should get a sight of the partial eclipse as well as some excellent surfing.

Here’s a simple explanation of Solar Eclipses – even I could vaguely understand it

Solar Eclipses Observer’s Guide – space.com

If you missed the total eclipse then there’s a ‘Hybrid Eclipse’ (see infogram) which you might glimpse from the balcony of your all-inclusive villa on Bermuda.  Apparently viewers on North American Atlantic coast will not be very impressed but holiday-makers (and locals of course) on Cape Verde Islands should get a great view from their hotel.  Liberia is the place to be for longest ‘totality’ but may not be top of everyone’s vacation list … You’ll may be better off booking a nice little hotel in Gabon, Congo, Uganda or Kenya – or preparing for sunset at the Ethiopia-Somalia border – or maybe not …

If dancing’s your thing then it looks like Mars, Venus and Jupiter will be tripping the light fantastic for a week later in May and in the year’s biggest Full Moon in June should make you swoon, wherever you are …  The Moon’s ‘Penumbral’ eclipse (whatever that means!) will apparently be seen in most parts of Asia, Europe and Africa with central and eastern area of North America getting a darkened Hunters’ Moon early evening.  Werewolves and vampires take note …

Comets and meteor showers showcase their astronomical charms beauty throughout the year but the biggest STAR (sorry) is the rather unromantically named Comet ISON, apparently called after International Scientific Optical Network telescope that found it in 2012.  It will be passing within a gnat’s whisker of the earth (40 million miles) and you should be able to see it from your very own backyard, wherever that is on this glorious planet …

The reason I wrote this article is because a friend sent me a copy of the dates and asked me to share it. Hope you enjoy it Sandie! I did a bit of research and found Mother Nature Network from where I got all this fascinating info – minus the holiday tips … Apologies to any serious astronomers and Prof Brian Cox You can find out about BBC2 Stargazing Live Events around the UK here

In this article for the World Travel Blogger series, Darren Cronian encourages us to visit the great outdoors in and around his home town, the Yorkshire city of Leeds.. 

There are a great many pleasant green parks and open spaces in Leeds and nearby, where you, your family and friends can get active, roam around the gardens, discover wildlife and nature or simply relax. I think Leeds has some of the best parks in Europe, and I love to explore them.  Here are six of my favourites and come highly recommended when visiting the city.

Roundhay Park

One of the most popular parks in Leeds has to be Roundhay Park with its superb expanses of parkland, gardens, lakes, and woodlands, as well as the stimulating Tropical World, which includes a vast collection of tropical plants, its stunning profusion of colourful butterflies, and its magnificent aquariums.   While you are walking around Roundhay Park make sure you visit the award winning Chelsea Flower show gardens, including the impressive Alhambra Garden, which is was inspired by one of the world’s most famous gardens, the 13th century garden at Alhambra, Spain.  Add to this, bowling greens, a canoe club, tennis courts, football and cricket pitches and a grass cycling track, and you have one fantastic day out.

Golden Acre Park

Six miles from the centre of Leeds is Golden Acre Park at Bramhope, with gardens and woodland around a beautiful lake. Golden Acre Park is home to lots of wildlife including wild birds, deer, fox, rabbits and squirrels. Next to the park is Breary Marsh, a local nature reserve, and an important conservation site.

Meanwood Valley Trail

Meanwood Valley Trail runs seven miles from Golden Acre Park to Woodhouse Moor near the University of Leeds, taking in Meanwood Park and Adel Woods on the way. Adel Woods are totally fascinating in themselves, with old aqueducts, and an old bunker the purpose of which seems to have been lost in the mists of time. The path is well-signposted, so no need to worry about getting lost.

Rodley Nature Reserve

Not a park as such but a hidden gem of a place that the kids will love. Situated outside of the city centre, but accessible by car, and public transport is Rodley Nature Reserve. Located next to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, it is a great place to find wildlife with species such as dragonfly and woodpecker often found here.  Have a picnic, or walk around the reserve. Kids can hire nets and visit the ponds to discover local wildlife.

Otley Chevin Forest Park

About ten miles from Leeds is Otley Chevin Forest Park. Explore the slopes and paths of this huge park which is dominated by rock formations that rise to a height of 280m above sea level. Climb to Surprise View and admire the breathtaking scenery of the market town of Otley and the Wharfe Valley. The park is a great place to participate in activities like orienteering, geocaching and mountain biking.

Hollies Botanical Gardens

The Hollies Botanical gardens consists of twenty-two hectares of land and is home to four National Council collections for the conservation of plants and gardens. The site also benefits from flowering rhododendrons and azaleas, herbaceous borders, mature plants and large woodland walks.

Park Square

Finally, back in the city centre is one of the best place in Leeds for relaxing. Park Square is quiet and seldom crowded; there are plenty of sandwich shops just around the corner where you can lay on the grass in the sunshine or sit on a bench and read a book. The remarkable St Paul’s House on the south side of the park was built in 1878 by Thomas Ambler, its parapets and minarets were inspired by drawings of the Alhambra, the Moorish palace in Granada.

The city is literally on the doorstep of the Yorkshire Dales, a beautiful, scenic part of the country and well worth a visit, especially, Bolton Abbey which is only a short car journey from the city centre.

I hope this guide has given you an idea on some of the parks and open spaces, which makes Leeds a great place to visit if you want to let the kids run off some steam. I am biased being Leeds born and bred, but I seriously believe that the city has some of the best open spaces and parks in Europe.

Darren Cronian is the editor of an online guide called My Life in Leeds. The guide is written by local people who love sharing their experiences and recommendations on things to do in Leeds. You can also find Darren on Face Book and Twitter

Rome is one of the most visited cities in the world.  Even if you haven’t seen the Colosseum and the Forum for yourself, you’ve probably seen enough pictures to make you feel like you’ve been there. But if you think that’s all there is to this ancient city, think again.  There are a great many glorious places that you might not have heard of, but that are still certainly worth a visit.  So you need to book one of the cheap flights from Monarch and get yourself to Rome to see some of its hidden wonders.  Here are 5 sights in Rome that you will most certainly enjoy …

San Giovanno in Laterano 

Interior of San Giovanni in Laterano

Everyone knows of St. Peter’s, but what they don’t know is that this church is actually more important to the Vatican, Rome and Christendom. The oldest Basilica in Rome, San Giovanni in Laterano is the site where the Pope must officiate church before he is considered the leader of the Catholic Church. It’s a staggering building, in its vastness, its stunning architecture and its contents.

Il Genio di Leonardo da Vinci Museo

Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most influential Italian’s that ever lived, and this is where you’ll find out why. Interactive and charming, Il Genio di Leonardo da Vinci Museo in the Palazzo della Cancelleria is not well known, but it should be. On a visit, you’ll get the chance to actually try out replicas of many of the contraptions designed by the great man himself. Great fun for kids or simply fascinating for any adult with an interest in history or design.

Aventine Hill

Rose Garden – Aventine Hill

Unlike the ruins at the Forum, you’ll find the original Roman architecture on Aventine Hill less crowded and more peaceful. There’s so much to look at, from a collection of beautiful little churches, to a stunning orange garden and the Square of the Knights of Malta. But the principle site involves the staggering view you can see through an ancient keyhole… ask any of the resident priests who populate the area and they’ll be happy to direct you to it.

Trastevere Rome

Trastevere

If you’d rather avoid the tourists but you’re still looking for a bit of that famous Italian bustle, Trastevere is the place to go. This lively and very Roman area of Rome is made up of cobbled streets full of fun cafés, unique shops and workshops and plenty of history. Every Sunday morning, the famous Porta Portese flea market takes over the town. It seems as though all the street vendors in Rome collect here for a few hours, so if you’re looking to do a bit of haggling and to buy a few souvenirs, you should definitely visit at this time. Make sure you don’t let the main streets of moderate tackiness distract you from the smaller side streets, where you can find the real, quality goodies.  Rome Flights with Monarch will land you in the heart of this glorious city so don’t miss the opportunity to get a souvenir of real Italian style.

Castel Sant’Angelo

Castel Sant’Angelo – Rome

There are a lot of steps to climb to visit the fortress of Castel Sant’Angelo, but when you see the views from the top, you’ll realise it was absolutely worth it. You’ll be able to get right inside the underground network of the building, which was originally built as a mausoleum for the Roman Emperor Hadrian, but has since been used as a Papal fortress, a castle and a prison. There are all sorts of interesting artefacts to look at in the gorgeous rooms, but nothing beats the sight of the Vatican and the whole of Rome from the café on the terrace outside.

This article is brought to you by Monarch Airlines.

Myriad stalls line both sides of Skipton High Street on Market Day, selling everything from home made jam, via chunky knits to Greek olives.  Whatever the weather the stallholders always seem to have a smile and a cheery greeting.  On both sides of the road, substantial, but not imposing, Victorian buildings jostle for space with a few older building and an occasional modern interloper in between.

Skipton Market and Holy Trinity Church

This quaint Yorkshire market town on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales is the ideal place to see modern-day rural England.  Skipton Castle testifies to the town’s ancient history.  Originally built in 1090, it was replaced by a sturdy stone castle to fend off attacks from the Scots further north. In 1310, Edward II granted the castle to Robert Clifford who ordered many improvements to the fortifications; he died in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.  During the English Civil War the castle was the only Royalist stronghold in the north of England until December 1645.

Skipton Castle

Nearby, the 14^th Century Holy Trinity Church is the final resting place of Henry VIII’s niece, Lady Eleanor Brandon and there are also five Earls of Cumberland and an impressive memorial to 3^rd Earl, George Clifford.

The Woolly Sheep Inn

Sheep Street has lots of quirky little shops, boutiques and was the site of the old prison. Being on the tourist route, in an understated and genuine way, there are plenty of restaurants, pubs and cafes to quench thirst and tempt the palate.  A very popular and traditional pub is The Woolly Sheep with excellent choice of real ale and comfortable rooms.  One of my favourite places for a very unusual atmosphere is The Russian Tea Room – check out the window display of Russian dolls, costume and food.    Drop in to the pretty Three Sheep Tea Rooms for a great cup of Yorkshire tea and a bite to eat.

The Three Sheep Tea Rooms

Also on High Street is the Skipton Town Hall & Craven Museum.  When I visited recently there was an indoor market selling – I bought some brightly coloured wools for my latest knitting obsession!  My son got a Manchester City football pin and a couple of second hand DVDs – bargains galore here.  Upstairs is the fascinating little Museum showcasing artefacts from days gone by, including the very surprising hippopotamus skull, from the far-off days when they apparently roamed the surrounding countryside …

Indoor market wool stall

You can walk along historic The Leeds and Liverpool Canal, take a boat trip or just sit and watch the beautifully decorated barges, narrow boats and other craft drift slowly by.  The Canal Basin also has some great little shops in the converted warehouses.

Photo by LeedsLiverpoolCanal.co.uk

The Millenium Walk takes in a lot of the town as well as the Leeds Liverpool Canal.  It’s a great way to explore the industrial heritage of Skipton; originally a wool town, it went on to trade in  the more lucrative cotton industry and was the home of Silko Cotton.  My grandmother had hundreds of these brightly coloured reels in an ornate wooden sewing box in her front room.

So, next time you’re in the fair county of Yorkshire take time to visit Skipton – and see if you can find that hippo’s head …