Together with our friend, we drive to the Coates English Willow Visitor Centre, where baskets and many more wicker items are still woven from willow rods. There’s no limit to the variety on offer, as we discover right at the entrance. Here, two wicker elephants greet visitors. In the shop, we buy tickets for the museum and have a quick look around. As well as [Weiterlesen]

On the way to Taunton, we’re stopping off in Basingstoke. We’re really keen to catch up with our friends Caroline and her son Jack. Her husband Peter had to work – understandably. We’ve known them the longest of all, in fact long before Jack was born. He’ll be turning 18 next week. We have lunch at Popeye’s, with fried chicken, chips, mac & cheese and [Weiterlesen]

We’re taking it easy today. We sleep in and then pop into the big shopping centre next to our hotel for a light breakfast. And of course, we’re having a browse round the shops too. Unfortunately, the new folding iPhone Duo hasn’t arrived at the Apple Store yet. But we spot lots of brilliant sets in the Lego shop. At Lush, the range of adorable [Weiterlesen]

After a short night, we set out relatively early. We meet our friend Clare at Gunwharf Quays. After a croissant and hot chocolate at a café, we stroll through the harbor area, passing many colorful townhouses. We watch the ferry as it sets sail for the Isle of Wight – that’s where Clare and her husband Dan are originally from. On our walk, we take [Weiterlesen]

We’re finally heading back to England today. How exciting! We set off at 9:15 am and make good progress… if only it weren’t for all the roadwork. And traffic jams. Just before Basel, we come to a complete standstill. When we see on the big screen that the situation isn’t going to change anytime soon, we take the exit and drive through the city. In [Weiterlesen]

As we unpack our shopping, the difference between travelling by car and by plane becomes obvious. Our selection is small but excellent – just the essentials!

We have breakfast at Costa and then head to the Portobello suburb. We find a parking space near the beach and immediately feel at home here. It’s touristy, but you find just the locals. We stroll up and down the beach promenade and even spot a service offering beach wheelchairs that you can hire by booking (in advance?). We order a drink from a food [Weiterlesen]

After picking up some breakfast from the supermarket, we drive to Calton Hill. Between Scotland’s National Monument, the observatory and the Nelson Monument, we find a bench that’s more or less sheltered from the wind where we can enjoy our breakfast with a view. We can see the city in all directions, from the harbour through the old and new parts of the city to [Weiterlesen]

Today we’re heading to a really lovely bakery for breakfast. And sure enough, it has the widest selection of baked goods we’ve ever seen – all made on the premises. Gabi goes for a classic croissant, I order a key lime donut, and Chrige’s sweet treat was gone so quickly I didn’t even have time to look at what it was. We also pick up [Weiterlesen]

After picking up a nice breakfast from the supermarket, we drive to Nessie. Or rather, to the northern end of Loch Ness. You can’t get to the shore anywhere else, and it’s an absolutely perfect spot. We enjoy our meal whilst, just a few metres away, a Nessie researcher is offering pieces of his trinkets. And sure enough, we soon spot a wild animal in [Weiterlesen]