CORNWALL HOLIDAYS

Before our supper we could again admire another group of young people, celebrating their prom, who were so elegantly dressed ! One had chosen the gothic which looked a bit strange !



The next day we went to Totness where we took a boat which took us along the scenic River Dart to
Dartmouth, The landscape was so peaceful and beautiful. Meanwhile the rain had stopped and we could sit on the upper deck.



From far we saw Agatha Christie's summer a house, lots of pastel colored houses and a very old fisher house.

We arrived in Dartmouth where we had free time and walked through very pretty town. Nicole and I noticed the difference between the French coast just on the opposite side where everything looked so neglected, while here it seemed that they had painted the whole town just yesterday. The parks too were so well kept !

We had a jacket potato in a little restaurant,  for Nicole it was the first time, she had never eaten one and decided that from now on she wouldn't eat anything else. Breakfast and supper we have in our hotel. 

so



After Dartmouth we crossed the river in a ferry and took the old steam train to Paington. It really was a very romantic trip and we enjoyed it very much. The whistle of the train brought back childhood memories !

We returned to Torquay and spent the rest of the day in our hotel relaxing.

The battery of my mouse has given  up its soul and I had to use the thing in the computer. It made me mad, I had never used it but finally I managed, with a lot of @&"# !

CORNWALL HOLIDAYS DAY 2

As planned we started our "Agatha Christie" tour ! Torquay is very proud of its most famous inhabitant;
Unfortunately the day was grey and rather cold, but nevertheless we managed to see a few things.



The church were she got married and the park she loved.



Our guide was a gentlemen of a certain age who explained how she lived here, got married etc etc, but it started to rain so much that we decided to return to the hotel instead of catching a cold ! Only Dominique bravely made the whole tour. Here we are well covered, but were soaked when we arrived at the Hotel, where btw Agatha had spend her honeymoon. !



We spent the afternoon in the cozy lounge of the Hotel with a beautiful view on the sea.



It continued raining the whole afternoon, so we went to the indoor swimming pool and had a nice time there. Finally we have enjoyed this quiet day because we were still a little tired from the long trip the day before.

After a very nice supper with 3 courses we went to bed, while another school celebrated the proms ! They all looked so nice in their long dresses and suits.

CORNWALL HOLIDAYS 2014

We had to get up early to take the Eurostar from Brussels to London and arrived already at 9 am. A taxi took us to the Oxford hotel where I had booked our rooms. Dominique and Ilona had slept in the train, anyway there was nothing special to see.



The Oxford Hotel was nice to stay for a night, the room was as big as a broom closet, but had two comfortable beds and an ensuite. Fortunately Ilona and I are slim otherwise we would have been in trouble moving around in the room.

We left our luggage at the hotel and took the tube to Covent garden. None of the girls had ever been there and were delighted. The weather was with us and we had a well earned coffee ! After having walked around we went to Trafalgar square which Nicole and Dominique had seen about 30 years ago and they did recognize it and missed the pigeons. We had a nice lunch in a nearby Pub which Marie from After 60 had shown me last year.



We then decided to make a river tour on the Thames. I had done this once but at least 15 years ago and remembered it as such a beautiful excursion. What a disappointment for me ! Everything had changed. It wasn't at all like in my memories !



Where once old houses had been I suddenly got the impression to see "Little Dubai"  It just didn't fit ! We all were very disappointed !

The next day a taxi took us toVictoria Station, where we caught the National Express bus to Torquay. The trip of a little more then 5 hours was very nice as we could see the beautiful English landscape and little towns.



At 4 pm we finally arrived in our hotel. The Grand Hotel of  Torquay. It is very beautiful and our rooms are very spacious and light. We made a tour around the Hotel.




Inside too it looked very cozy. I was too tired to see more, we had a very good supper and got our first instructions for our tour today.



When I got out of the dining room I suddenly was in the middle of young students who celebrated their prom. I had asked one because I was surprise to see so many long dresses. I talked to some and then my friends came and also one teacher who explained the whole thing, we arent's used to that. These ceremonies are only moving into Belgium slowly.

ON HOLIDAYS IN CORNWALL

Today I am on my way to England,



together with my friends Ilona (71), Dominique (60) and Nicole (75)

We take the Eurostar to London and stay there for the night, and the next morning we will take the bus to Torquay.

The program is :

TORQUAY AND THE AGATHA CHRISTIE CONNECTION
Your Tour Manager greets you in the reception of the Grand Hotel in Torquay,  base for four nights. On Day 2 we begin our stay with an Agatha Christie themed walk, accompanied by a local guide, introducing the delights of Torquay's iconic waterfront and the resort's Agatha Christie connections.

THE RIVIERA BY STEAM, BY BOAT, AND AT LEISURE
We explore Torbay's spectacular coast today, firstly travelling by rail to Paignton. Here we board the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway and continue along the coast to Kingswear. We then board a river ferry to Dartmouth where we enjoy free time in this riverside town. We cruise up the scenic River Dart to Totnes and return to Torquay by coach. On Day 4 enjoy Torquay at leisure, with Torre Abbey, exquisite gardens and the harbour, all within walking distance of our hotel. Alternatively, Torbay offers a number of resorts, such as Goodrington and Brixham, each with their own distinct character. Steam enthusiasts will enjoy the South Devon Railway, which operates between Totnes and Buckfastleigh.

THROUGH DEVON AND CORNWALL TO FALMOUTH
Our journey by rail  takes us first to Newton Abbot, where we change and travel through the Devon countryside and the naval city of Plymouth. We cross the River Tamar via the Royal Albert Bridge, and at Truro we change onto the Maritime Line, travelling southwards to Falmouth. Here we stay for two nights at the Falmouth Hotel, superbly situated on Falmouth Bay.

DISCOVERING WEST CORNWALL

we explore the best of Cornwall by rail and coach. First we head north-west from Falmouth by rail. At St Erth we change onto the St Ives Bay Branch Line, which offers superb views of the Hayle Estuary before the scenic coastal panoramas of Carbis Bay and St Ives unfold. After free time in the picturesque town of St Ives, we continue by coach around Cape Cornwall, calling at Land's End, the charming fishing village of Mousehole, and Penzance, where romantic St Michael's Mount enchants from the sea.

I will try to do a diary of our trip depending of course on time and WiFi connection ! 

MY WEEKEND OF JUNE 21

Another catastrophe happened to me with my bread making ! This time I had forgotten to fix the screw which kneads the dough ! I even had added onions.



The result was a kind of flour covered brick with the onions sitting on the top ! Uneatable of course !



I had to make another loaf but this time it came out perfect !

My neighbor just in front of our house has important renovations done at his house !



all bricks on this side will be taken off and meanwhile it is VERY noisy !



Saturday afternoon I went to Ilona, all houses around are decorated for the world cup, she  was the only one who hadn't a flag ! She doesn't like football just like me. We checked together what she will pack in her suitcase for our forthcoming trip to Cornwall on Tuesday ! The great day approaches !



Before I wanted to see my son's friend's wife who had opened a new beauty salon ! Unfortunately she wasn't there but I was allowed to take pictures and found this salon very tasteful and beautiful !

On Sunday morning I went to the Brussels' midi market to buy some fruits and also found a nice cardigan for my trip.

In the afternoon we had a short visit from our son with family, they were in Waterloo because Toby's little friend had his birthday.



Last time I had seen him was in April for Mr. G's birthday and I found that he had changed a lot ! He became even taller and measures now 109 cm (43 inches) for his 3 1/2 years ! He goes into his Dads footsteps who is 2 m (6.7 ft).

We we spent a nice hour together, and I am happy to say, that although he doesn't come here so often, he seems to feel at home. 

The rest of the day I was busy with sorting out my computer and photo stuff for my trip !