The Long Walk to Windsor Castle

On a rather dreary day, we decided to head to Windsor Great Park to explore the area – little did we know it would turn into an 8 mile walk.

We began at the Savill gardens, where we found a pavilion café that we stopped at for a bite to eat. The garden had a price tag so we decided to walk around the open areas of the park instead.

There are lots of grand Oak trees in Windsor Great Park

Windsor Great Park was, for many centuries, the private hunting ground of Windsor Castle and is connected by the long walk, which is 2.64 miles long. The park dates back to the mid-13^th century and was once many acres larger than its current size.

Chris was set on doing the long walk to Windsor castle, so we made our way in the general direction of the start of the walk.

Windsor Great Park

As we wandered through Windsor Great Park, we came across a beautiful lake known as Cow Pond. Against the background of trees, it looked serene on the brisk winter day. At one end there sits a Baroque-style footbridge with a diamond lattice balustrade, which was designed specifically for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Looking over to the bridge at Cow Pond

Meandering alongside its banks we took in the beauty of the park, with its abundance of trees. Turning away from the lake, we headed through some woodland before reaching the open parkland. Following the path, we soon found ourselves looking across at Cumberland Lodge.

Cumberland Lodge behind the trees

Cumberland Lodge was built in 1652 and became the home of the Ranger of the Great Park upon the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. Home to many Dukes and Duchesses over the years, Lord Fitzalan was the last private person to live at the lodge.

In 1947, the lodge was made available to the newly established St. Catharine’s Foundation, which is now known as Cumberland Lodge. The Foundation today is an educational charity dedicated to initiating debates on concerns that affect society.

Another pond within Windsor Great Park

The building itself is definitely striking and stands out behind the bare branches of the trees. The differing styles and extensions that have been added over the years are quite obvious in its miss-matched design.

The Copper Horse – King George III statue atop Snow Hill

Continuing along, we soon came across Snow Hill upon which the King George III’s statue sits. Starting up the hill, it wasn’t long before we had very wet feet as the saturated ground seeped into our trainers. Undeterred, we continued up the hill to dryer ground.

Climbing the rocks around The Copper Horse

The Copper Horse statue of King George III stands gallantly upon Snow Hill where it has been positioned since 1829. It is exactly 2.65 miles from the George IV Gateway at Windsor Castle and begins the long walk.

View looking down towards Windsor Castle

The view from this vantage point is incredible, with Windsor Castle in all its majesty directly in front and the rest of London visible to the right. My mobile camera couldn’t give it justice. We spent a while admiring the view and climbing around the statue, before deciding to continue.

Looking back at The Copper Horse

In a spurt of madness, Chris decided to run down the hill rather than walk around the edge – very bad idea. The slope does not run smoothly into the path at the bottom. There is a rather steep drop instead – which Chris went flying over!

Thankfully, nothing worse than a ripped coat and a few bruises, we carried on. All be it a little slower…

Walking down the Long Walk to Windsor Castle

We continued down the very straight long path to Windsor Castle, which is when the rain began. Having walked two-thirds of the way, we decided it was time to head back to the car.

Windsor Castle

Not wanting to return the same way we had come, we decided to head back along the road through Old Windsor and Bishops Gate. We were also feeling a little hungry so went in search of a pub.

After a rather blustery walk along the road, we entered Old Windsor where we attempted to eat at the Toby Carvery – except the queue was out the door. Instead, we walked a little further to the Jolly Gardeners. It’s a really lovely little pub where we were welcomed and able to find a quiet corner to ourselves.

The Jolly Gardeners

Unfortunately, they had a large group in and were only serving Sunday lunches, so we curtailed on the food option. Nevertheless, it was a nice pit stop in a pub I’d definitely visit again.

Setting off again, we continued along the roadside – often without a path – taking in the countryside and some pretty impressive houses as we went.

Bears Rails Park

After what felt forever for my tired legs, we made it back to the car and headed off in search of a roast dinner.

Box Hill: Happy Valley Walk in the Surrey Hills

In early January, with a new urge to get fitter, Chris and I went on an excursion to the Surrey Hills. We weren’t quite sure where we were headed but knew that if we kept driving, we would soon find somewhere. Which is exactly what we did.

Deep in the heart of the Surrey Hills is Box Hill – so called because of its box-like shape as it sticks out from the landscape. It was a rather cold day and the ground was sodden from the previous days’ rain. But that wasn’t going to stop us.

Misty view from Solomon’s Memorial

Upon arrival, we first headed to the information point where we decided to make our way towards a viewpoint, or Solomon’s Memorial, that we’d passed on the drive up. Despite the fog, the view was beautiful as we looked down into the valley with Woking sat in its centre.

We began to walk along the hillside, yet it soon became too muddy for us to continue. Turning on our heels, we headed back to the visitor centre where we picked up a number of maps – the Box Hill Hike, Happy Valley Walk, Hill Top Stroll and the Juniper Top Walk.

Walking along the hilltop at Box Hill

Looking at the maps, we felt that the Box Hill Hike may have been a bit too much for that day, whilst the Juniper Top Walk and Hill Top Stroll wouldn’t get us our steps. Therefore, we decided on the Happy Valley Walk.

Starting at the visitor centre, we took a detour to the Box Hill Fort, which was built in the late 18^th century when there were fears that London may fall and take the British Empire with it. One of thirteen forts of its kind, it was built as a last-ditch attempt to save the capital of the empire.

Box Hill Fort

Now, the fort is in a state of disrepair, cordoned off and graffitied to its roof. In truth, it was a fairly sad sight. But, it was also interesting to find out about the fears of London being overturned and the lengths that they went to in order to secure it.

Returning to the Happy Valley route, we passed through the car park and into the dense forest. Here was where it got really muddy. Not wanting to head back again, we slipped and slided our way through the trees.

Looking through the trees at the start of the walk

Coming to a clearing, we wandered out to look down from the top of Lodge Hill – a view which arguably rivals the earlier viewpoint. From here, we could see a number of people walking up the side of the opposite hill on what appeared to be a proper path.

Trying to find a less-muddy path

Keen to not be wading through mud for much longer, Chris started down the valley to see if we could reach the path. However, upon reaching Zig-zag road, we realised that there was a very steep drop and no path on which to walk down.

Looking over to moody skies

Abandoning that idea, we headed back up the hill and onto Broadwood’s Tower. A really lovely tower, it looked magical surrounded by all of the trees. The tower was built around 1817 as a memorial to the Battle of Waterloo and stands above Juniper Hall, the former Broadwood family home.

Broadwood’s Tower

After exploring the tower, we soon came to a series of incredibly steep steps. The mud had not gone away and there were a few moments where things got a little treacherous as we slipped down the valley side. We were concentrating too hard to count the steps.

Juniper Hall, the former Broadwood family home.

At the bottom, it was almost like we’d entered a Black Mirror episode with the absolute silence and eerie dusk that was creeping in. The valley bottom at least was fairly dry and this part of the walk was easy.

At the bottom of Happy Valley

But the hardest part was yet to come. A steep incline takes you back up the hill to Juniper Top. Once again in dense woodland, we joined the Juniper Top Walk that took us back to Donkey Green and the car park.

Walking through Happy Valley

We had  aquick pit stop at the visitor centre before deciding to also incorporate the Hill Top Stroll into our day. The walk took us back to Solomon’s Memorial where we began down the hill to the right.

Solomon’s Memorial at dusk

Navigating in the fading light, we made our way along to Labilliere’s Grave, the gravestone of an eccentric man who had lived in the below town of Woking and requested specifically to be buried in that exact place face down. Definitely worth the trek in the dark to barely see!

Circling round, we ended up back at the Box Hill Fort before returning to the car park and on to home.

The Pink City of Toulouse, France

On the third and final day of our trip to Toulouse, it was a day for art. Setting off in the late morning, we first returned to the Christmas market and Place du Capitole in search of one of the city’s treasures.

Christmas markets in Toulouse

We had tried to enter the Salles des Illustres the previous day, having been told it was a must-see, but could not work out where to enter from as the front doors of the Capitole were closed. This day, however, they were open.

Painting in the Salles des Illustres

After sampling a roast chicken and onion bap in the market – which was more onion than meat, but nonetheless delicious – we headed towards the entrance.

The Salles des Illustres, or Hall of the Illustrious, is truly beautiful and probably my favourite part of our trip to Toulouse. In ornate style, with gold trimmings and incredible paintings, it is certainly something to behold. I particularly enjoyed walking through the Henri Martin Room that boasts impressionist paintings across all of the walls. With large strokes of paint and a wonderful use of colour that transcends both the impressionist and classical styles of painting, I could have stayed in this room for a long time.

Impressionist painting by Henri Martin

Built in 1605, the room is one of the oldest in the Capitole and once housed portraits of the Capitouls, the chief magistrates of the commune of Toulouse during the late Middle Ages and early Modern period. In 1900, the artist Henri Martin was appointed to give the room a new lease of life. In the paintings, he chose to depict both the countryside and the city, evoking the passing of the time in each painting.

Moving through, we came to the main hall. Redesigned by Paul Pujols between 1892-1898, where he converted three smaller rooms into the one, the hall is decorated with incredible painted ceilings and walls with statues of famous figures and Roman Gods.

Depiction of France on the ceiling of the Salles des Illustres

Embellishment work was conducted at the end of the 19^th century by architect Paul Pujol, who designed a new ceiling with a continuous vault for which he also produced the painted décor. The paintings around the walls of the Salle des Illustres were executed by various Toulouse artists, each of them having a defined theme: Toulouse City of the Arts and Culture, the glorious deeds of city life, and the defense of the fatherland. These canvases were hung on the walls between 1894 and 1928.

Painting in the Salles des Illustres

Having fully taken in the room, we headed back through to the Paul Gervais room, which is decorated by the artist’s work. The decoration of the former wedding hall carries the theme of love and a happy source of life in its different ages. The work of Paul Gervais deviates somewhat from the usual scenes of wedding halls, depicting civil wedding, family virtues and scenes of gallantry.

Painting by Paul Gervais in the Wedding hall

Content with our musings on the inside of the Capitole, we headed towards the Garonne (making sure to use our metro tickets…). We wandered along the banks of the river and stopped at another small market briefly.

We looked across at Pont Neuf, a beautiful 16th-century bridge that, despite its name (new bridge), is actually the oldest bridge in Toulouse. On the opposite bank, we saw the Hotel-Dieu Saint Jacques and Le Dome de La Grave, both once hospitals for the sick and those rejected by society, ie. beggars, prostitutes and the insane.

Pont Neuf

Continuing along the bank, we came to the next bridge – Pont Saint Pierre – which we crossed on our way to Les Abattoirs, Toulouse’s modern art museum.

In truth, I definitely prefer the older styles of painting. The modern art museum, for the most part, consisted of confused looks – mainly because there was very little in the way of an English translation. Nevertheless, I found it incredibly interesting and particularly enjoyed exploring the different ideas floating around the art world.

The first exhibit took us through the conflict in Colombia. The project brings together almost 40 artists all sharing their reflection on the ongoing war in the region. I particularly liked the striking poster-esque art of Antonio Caro with works including Colombia written in Coco-Cola font.

Heroinas De Tierra by Libia Posada

I felt that this piece by Libia Posada is especially impactful in her depiction of a heroine over a map of Colombia. In my opinion, you don’t need to read the text to see the strength and resilience of the screen-printed woman.

Delcy Morelos installation

One room was dictated by an installation by Delcy Morelos. The artist has indigenous origins and came from one of the regions most affected by the violence. A zona roja or “red zone” battered by guerrilleros and paramilitaries in the department of Cordoba. He chose to depict his experiences by painting the walls red – literally. The room contained interlinking blocks lashed with red paint.

Libia Posada’s maps drawn on legs

Continuing through the galleries we came across Libia Posada again with her maps drawn on legs. I really liked these images as it not only depicted the paths that these women have trodden on and the pain and suffering attached, but also shows the diversity and differences of those caught in the conflict.

Natalia Castaneda’s ceramic work was creepy in the depiction of odd body parts washed up amongst the debris. Whilst I was mesmerised by Clemencia Echeverri’s video installation that chopped scenes of a fast running river with bodies disappearing in the current.

Hessie’s Survival Art

Downstairs we wandered through Hessie’s Survival Art exhibition. Hessie was one of the rare mixed-race artists active on the French scene in the 1970s. Her singular body of work consisted of a mass of artworks in which she transformed embroidery and collage into a message of feminism. Through repurposing the traditional craft materials of women, she challenged the status quo and aligned herself with the avant-garde movements, such as minimalism and the women’s liberation movements. Whilst I didn’t particularly like Hessie’s artwork, I find her life story and what she stands for fascinating.

Hessie’s Survival Art

Also on the bottom floor was an installation by Vivien Roubald. I couldn’t tell you what they were meant to be or the concept behind it. Three glass domes were hung from the ceiling with various mechanisms and lights within them. They were actually rather beautiful.

Vivien Roubald’s installation

Heading to the top floor, we encountered the epitome of avant-garde in some very unusual pieces from artists such as Dado and Karel Appel. In truth, we skipped through this section pretty quickly.

Karel Appel’s video installation

At the end, there were some rather lovely prints by Nicolas Daubanes, which I quite liked. We then watched a video installation by Lola Gonzalez. Whilst strange, it was definitely my favourite part of the gallery and has stuck with me since. The video Rapelle-toi de la couleur des fraises (Remember the colour of strawberries) depicts the story of two lovers and their adventures to an unusual house where three men live. You are unsure as to who these people are or why the events unfold, but the journey is mesmerising as it uses the extensiveness of silence to communicate human connection.

Print by Nicolas Daubanes

We rushed through the remainder of the gallery, having taken our fill of modern art. We then headed back to the Palace de Justice, this time actually taking the time to have a look at it and stop for a bite to eat at a local bakery. Then we jumped on a tram to the airport for a good five-hour wait before our flight.

 

Toulouse: Cathedrals, gardens and a real taste of France

On the second day of our trip to Toulouse, we took the advice of the hostess and went to the Victor Hugo Market. Very close to our hotel, we wandered across to the market around 10am where it was a hive of activity. It reminded me of the old indoor markets in Hull with tables of fresh fish and meats. It was traditionally French, with an abundance of cheese and wine, fresh patisseries, and bread galore.

Patisseries in the Victor Hugo Market

We wandered around the stalls, quickly bypassing the fish and seafood. Tempted by the bread, we bought a baguette (which was, unfortunately, a little hard) and just resisted the pastries. Instead, we popped across to a nearby patisserie where we bought chocolatines, otherwise known as Pain au Chocolate, and croissants. They were delicious!

Victor Hugo Market

Having explored the market fully, we headed on to the Japanese Garden, or Jardin Japonais that actually sits within the larger park of Jardin Compans Caffarelli. It is a quaint little Japanese garden, which felt like a little oasis from the city.

Japanese Gardens in Toulouse

The garden houses a beautiful red bridge and Japanese-style house, which definitely create the Asian aesthetic. Unfortunately, the house was closed to the public so we were unable to read the information about the garden.

Japanese Gardens in Toulouse

As we wandered, we came across a statue of a Taisen Deshimaru, who was a Japanese Sōtō Zen Buddhist teacher, and a garden made of gravel shaped into circles. Despite being a huge amount of grey stone, it was beautiful and intricate in its pattern.

Statue of Taisen Deshimaru

Continuing through the park, we saw a sculpture of a dragon made out of scrap metal – which was pretty cool – sat in a massive lake. It was really quite pretty in the cool winter air.

Scrap metal dragon

It was then time to head to the Basilique Saint-Sernin. As it wasn’t far, we walked across town towards the famous cathedral.

Basilique Saint-Sernin altar

The Basilique Saint-Sernin is the former abbey church of the Abbey of Saint-Sernin or St Saturnin and is its only remaining building.  Constructed in the Romanesque style – like much of Toulouse – it is located on the site of a previous basilica of the 4^th century, which housed the body of Saint Sernin.

Basilique Saint-Sernin altar

The basilica was constructed between 1080 and 1120 and is the largest remaining Romanesque building in Europe. However, despite being called a basilica, Saint-Sernin does not follow the plan of early Christian architecture. In the form of a crucifix, the basilica is much larger than earlier churches and is primarily made of brick.

Basilique Saint-Sernin

It also contains a walk-way called an ambulatory, which goes around the nave allowing for the viewing of the radiating chapels. This is why it is often debated as a pilgrimage basilica and it was for a long time seen as a place of pilgrimage.

I was slightly disappointed that a lot of Saint-Sernin was closed to public access as I would have liked to explore a little further. But then, it was free to enter.

Musee St-Rayond

We then explored the neighbouring museum – Musee St-Raymond. It contained a vast arrangement of Romanesque statues and artefacts found in the area near Toulouse. It was fascinating to see the heads of Roman aristocracy and legend from the 1st century or earlier and explore the depictions of Gods and myths.

Bust once thought to be of Julius Caesar

In the first room, we were presented with busts of famous Romans found in the villa Martres-Tolosane, in the locality of Chiragan. It was incredible how preserved some of the pieces were and the craftsmanship of thousands of years ago.

Hall of Roman busts

Hercules defeating Medusa

In the room above, we learned about how the Roman’s travelled north from Italy into the South of France and how trade was instilled in the area. From this, we were able to view other Romanesque artefacts.

Roman Mosaic

Making our way down to the basement of the museum, we were met with an open tomb. However, there were no English translations – and often no information is given at all – to distinguish whose grave this was.

Tomb underneath the museum

Within the accompanying room, we saw the engraved tombs with scenes or patterns carved into their sides – really beautiful.

Engraved tomb

Having taken our fill of the area, we headed back towards the hotel stopping by The Yard for some delicious burgers. The only good main meal we ate in Toulouse.

Burger from Yard cafe

We returned to the Christmas Market, which was incredibly busy with it being a Saturday. After failing to find our way into the art gallery within the Place du Capitol, we headed back to the hotel. Our last venture that day would be to eat copious amounts of ice-cream at the nearby Carte Dor café.

A whole heap of history and a splash of Christmas lights: Toulouse, France

In the second, and possibly last, of our surprise mini breaks to Europe, we travelled to Toulouse in the South of France. I’m sure Toulouse is beautiful in the Spring/Summer or any other time than the middle of winter.

It is not the snow covered Christmas markets of northern Europe nor is it the warmer weather of the Mediterranean, in truth, we had a perfectly grey weekend. Nevertheless, we explored Toulouse top to bottom!

Starting out at the airport, we had hoped to hire a car to take us to the Pyrenees. However, upon enquiring the price we scrapped that idea! So we bought a three day travel ticket – big mistake – and took the tram to the Palais de Justice station. We didn’t even realise that the Palais de Justice was right in front of us, so we wandered down the alleyways and bought lunch in little cafes along the way.

Statue of two people kissing in Jardin les Plantes

We took a detour into Jardin des Plantes, where we looked at going around the Muséum de Toulouse. However, we were left waiting to be served for far too long so we decided it wasn’t worth the €7. Leaving the museum, we wandered around the park, which was a little stark in the winter light.

Bridge in the Jardin les Plantes

There is a lovely river running through with waterfall tumbling down a man-made mound. We enjoyed exploring the meandering paths and looking at the different types of trees. I imagine it is beautiful when all of the flowers are in full bloom.

Waterfall in the Jardin les Plantes

Continuing along the street, we came to the Jardin du Grand Rond. In the centre of a busy roundabout, the garden has a beautiful fountain in its centre with a pavilion overlooking. Despite the slight sound of traffic, it was a little nature haven in the middle of the city.

Fountain in the centre of the Jardin du Grand Rond

Exiting the park we walked along the Allées Forain-François Verdier to the Monument aux Combattants de la Haute-Garonne, remembering the soldiers who died in WWI.

Monument aux Combattants de la Haute-Garonne

We then headed west to the Cathedrale Saint-Etienne. Not quite sure whether we could enter, we cautiously entered the beautiful cathedral. Despite a rather plain exterior, the cathedral’s interior was intricate with amazing stained glass windows. Milan’s Duomo was magnificent but far too ornate and unrealistic, this was a truly old cathedral. Half was under refurbishment, yet we were able to wander freely through the stone walls.

Main altar within the Cathedrale Saint-Etienne

The cathedral is really unique in its’ asymmetrical design and beautiful alcoves with sculptures and various confessionals from throughout the years. It was incredibly peaceful, especially with all of the candles burning.

Cathedrale Saint-Etienne

Leaving the cathedral, we headed on to the Musee des Augustins that has a huge collection of sculpture and paintings from the Middle Ages to the 20^th century.

Gargoyles at the Musee des Augustins

The first room houses the medieval sculpture, which I found incredibly interesting – especially with the depiction of saints and some with the colour still remaining.

Medieval statue hall

Vierge a l’Enfant dite

A saint vanquishing a demon

Saint Paul

The museum also houses a huge hall in which fine art classes take place surrounded by incredible paintings and a beautiful organ at its centre. Toulouse’s famous organ dominates one of the walls and commands awe.

Incredible organ in the Musee des Augustins

Upstairs you find an interesting light installation by Jorge Pardo. Inaugurated in May 2014 for Toulouse second International Art Festival, the display houses Toulouse’s beautiful Romanesque art separated into three categories shown by the change in light fitment.

Light installation by Jorge Pardo using Romanesque statues

These distinguishing lamps separate the set of capitals taken from the cloisters, no longer extant, of La Daurade, Saint Sernin and Saint Etienne. Pardo designed every element of the room, from the pillars to the tiling.

One of the statues in Jorge Pardo’s installation, this one shows the story of Saint John the Baptist and Salome

Continuing up the stairs, you are presented with contemporary statues by artists such as Alexandre Falguiere.

Nymph Chasseresse Statue by Alexandre Falguiere

You then enter the gallery with famous pieces such as Edouard Debat-Ponsan’s The massage.  Only the red gallery was open, unfortunately, as I would have liked to explore more of the artwork. Nevertheless, the pieces were beautiful. In particular, I liked the artwork of Armand Point and Philippe-Auguste Hennequin with their very different styles.

Artwork in the red gallery

Artwork in the red gallery

Time to check in to the hotel, we got settled in for a quick nap before heading out for the evening.

View from window of the Musee des Augustins

It was time to explore the Toulouse Christmas market. At the end of the street where our hotel was, we came to a roundabout decorated with a huge Saint Nicholas in his ice carriage next to a festive carousel. It was like being in a fairy-tale. All the streets were decorated with lights and the market looked quaint in the shadow of the Place du Capitole.

Toulouse’s Christmas decorations

After looking at multiple restaurant menus as we walked, and not liking anything we saw, we eventually decided to buy something at the market. We had Toulouse sausage with chips, which definitely filled a hole. Then we wandered around the stalls.

Toulouse Christmas market

Not quite the Christmas market I had expected, it was noticeably French with the scent of bread and strong cheese, meats and fried onions filling the air. The stalls had various handmade items and Christmas decorations. Despite the lights continually shorting out leaving parts of the market in darkness, we enjoyed wandering whilst drinking delicious Vin Chaud (mulled wine).

Toulouse Christmas decorations

Feeling cold, we dipped into a bar where we had the worst wine I’ve ever tasted… Managing to drink it, we tried to find another bar but there wasn’t any room at the inn. So, we returned to the hotel’s “bar”, which consisted of a drinks cabinet and three sofas. We were greeted by a very helpful American lady who served us some very nice Chardonnay and pointed us towards the main sights of Toulouse. We would begin to explore more the following day.

Chris with our “Bag of wine”

European Mini Break: Sforza Castle, Italy

Day two, we decided to explore the Sforza Castle. But not before spending far too long in a lovely bakery nearby our hotel, Mr Moussa. We first sampled the croissants: Chris chose plain whilst I had apricot marmalade. It was all of the tastes of Christmas! We shared a few mini tarts before ordering chunks of focaccia. Definitely a feast of Italy.

Sforza Castle

Positioned at Milan’s centre, the Castle was unlike any other castle I have seen with red brick and white details. The area had been massively restored over recent years to reveal the majesty of former times.

Fountain outside Sforza Castle

The castle was originally a Visconti fortress but later home to the mighty Sforza dynasty, who ruled Renaissance Milan. Like Milan’s cathedral, the castle has undergone many transformations, including the addition of 12 bastions under Spanish command in 1550 and Napoleon’s draining of the moats and removal of its drawbridges during his reign.

Interior wall of Sforza Castle

Upon its transfer from military use to the government, restoration works were carried out by Luca Beltrami in the 19th century. Today, the castle houses many specialised museums, including works by Leonardo Da Vinci, who was commissioned by Ludovico Sforza to decorate the castle’s walls from 1494, and Michelangelo’s final work, the Rondanini Pieta.

Inside Sforza Castle walls

Wandering around the courtyard, we attempted to enter one of the many museums housed in its walls. Turns out you need tickets from the opposite side to which we’d entered. We hurried through a little embarrassed!

Restoration of the interior walls of Sforza Castle

Unfortunately, the queues were ridiculous for the museums so we decided not to buy tickets and instead head to the surrounding park, Parco Sempione.

View towards the Arch of Peace in Parco Sempione

The largest city park in Milan, it houses the Castle, Arch of Peace and Arena Civica. The Arch of Peace is a beautiful neoclassical structure replicating the Arc de Triumph in Paris. It was built in 1807 by architect Luigi Cagnola under the Napoleonic rule. This new gate marked the place where the new connecting road between Milan and Paris would begin, the Strada del Sempione.

Arch of Peace

When the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy fell and Milan was conquered by the Austrian Empire, work on the gate was abandoned. Until, in 1826, it was resumed again for Emperor Francis II, who dedicated the monument to the 1815 Congress of Vienna. After Cagnola’s death in 1833, Francesco Londonio and Francesco Peverelli brought it to completion in 1838.

Arch of Peace

Standing 25m high and 24m wide, the Arch of Peace is decorated with a number of bas-reliefs, statues and Corinthian columns. These decorations depict major events in Italian and European history, including the Battle of Leipzig and the Congress of Vienna. There are also subjects from classical mythology, such as Mars, Ceres, Minerva and Apollo imagined in the sculptures. As well as allegories of the major rivers in North Italy, for example the Po, the Adige and the Ticino.

Taking the outer path, we meandered through to the Arch of Peace, where we sat and listened to a woman singing for a while. It was definitely a moment of “wow we’re actually in Italy”.

Inside the Arena Civica

Continuing along, we followed the neoclassical walls of the Arena Civica, a multipurpose stadium, where sports and concerts are often held. That morning there had been a sponsored run for breast cancer awareness.

Wall of the Arena Civica

The sun was out and we warmed our faces as we took in the scenery. With lots of lakes and trees in their autumn splendour, the park was really beautiful.

Autumn colours at Parco Sempione

Autumn colours at Parco Sempione

Feeling hungry, we walked to the Duomo stopping at Martini Cafe for a final pizza. Not quite as good as the first, but it certainly filled a hole!

Our holiday at an end, we made our way to the airport watching the sunset on our way.

Goodbye Duomo

European Mini Break: Duomo di Milano, Italy

The first of our mini breaks to Europe, we set off for Milan in the north of Italy. With a budget of £200, I thought I’d done pretty well as we caught a €5 shuttle bus to the centre. Arriving at the central station, we headed straight to the Duomo (Cathedral) as we intended to make the most of our limited time.

Central Station, Milan

As you exit the station, your eyes are met with the incredible marble structure of Milan’s cathedral. We made our way to the ticket office, where a rather confusing system was in place. On your visit, I would recommend using the self-service stations immediately rather than waiting an exceptionally long time for your number to be called. Joining the fairly long queue, we gradually made our way into the Duomo.

Duomo di Milano

The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete, with many architects and engineers undertaking its building in this time. It is the largest church in Italy and the third largest in the world!

A closer view

Construction began under the direction of Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzi in 1386, to celebrate the ascension to power of his cousin Gian Galeazzo Visconti. Three hundred employees led by first chief engineer, Simone da Orsenigo were to embark on the work under the “Fabbrica del Duomo”.

Side angle of the Duomo di Milano

The Duomo was originally intended to be made of red brick in Lombard Gothic style; however, the appointment of French chief engineer, Nicolas de Bonaventure drastically changed plans. Under influences from new trends in European architecture, it was decided that the brick structure should be panelled in marble in a style not typically Italian, but French.

Paintings inside the Duomo di Milano

Gian Galeazzo Visconti gave exclusive use of the unique pink marble from the Candoglia quarry, from which workers would transport the mountains of marble to the centre of Milan via the waterways. At the death of Gian Galeazzo in 1402, the cathedral was almost half completed. Yet, construction drew to a halt due to lack of money, not picking up again until 1480.

Paintings around the walls of the Duomo

Statues around the walls of the Duomo

Over the following centuries, many architects and sculptors would be commissioned to produce beautiful marble pieces for the cathedral, yet the exterior would largely remain untouched until the 17th century.

One of the many marble sculptures in the Duomo

At the beginning of the 17th century, Federico Borromeo and Pellegrini had devised a new, Renaissance appearance for the cathedral. Its façade largely incomplete, Pellegrini was able to design a “Roman” style one, with columns, obelisks and a large tympanum. However, in 1649 the new chief architect Carlo Buzzi reverted the façade to the original gothic style.

Finally, on May 20th, 1805 Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the façade of the Duomo to be completed by Carlo Pellicani. After a promise to reimburse the expenses, the Duomo’s exterior was complete just seven years later. Napoleon would later be crowned King of Italy at the Duomo, and a statue was placed at the top of one of the spires in thanks.

One of the organs

I was amazed at the 45m height of the ceiling, with delicately engraved pillars and beautiful stained glass windows. Even the floor was audacious.

Floor of the Duomo di Milano

We wandered around the space, taking in the information on past popes and archbishops. The statues were incredible, including the below, which is Duomo’s most famous statue: The Saint Bartholomew Flayed (1562), by Marco d’Agrate. You can see how the saint shows his flayed skin thrown over his shoulders, revealing the muscle structure underneath.

St Bartholomew statue

Soon we came around to the back of the cathedral, where we found a life-size cast of the gold Madonnina, which sits atop the cathedral spire.

The Madonina replica

In 1762, Francesco Croce, architect to the Veneranda Fabbrica received the commission to build the main spire of the Duomo. He suggested that the Great Spire should be decorated with a statue of the Virgin Mary carried up to heaven by angels.

Stained glass window

The making of the statue was entrusted to the sculptor Giuseppe Perego, who proposed several models in 1769, before the current design was decided upon. In June 1769, the work for the model was begun by sculptor and model maker Giuseppe Antignati, while the blacksmith Varino made the supporting framework.

Stained glass window up close

The Madonina was raised onto the main spire of Milan’s Duomo in late December 1774 and remains the symbol of the city and patroness of the Milanese people. She is composed of embossed and gilded copper plates, supported on a framework which is now in stainless steel. This framework was originally iron, but had become dangerously corroded. Restoration work in 1967 replaced this with a new stainless steel structure and involved the dismantling of the copper plates and mordent re-gilding.

The main altar

After fully exploring the Duomo, we headed to the attached museum. However, I was a little disappointed in the lack of information. Each sculpture had a name attached but it was almost assumed that you would understand the significance. There was also a significant lack of history.

Gold head of God

Nevertheless, we were able to see sculptures that sit on and within the Cathedrals walls up close. And for €3 all in, it was definitely value for money.

Miniatures of the statues decorating the facade of the Duomo, Milan

The Duomo sits next to Milan’s famous shopping centre, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. With an impressive glass dome and three floors, it is a real show of beauty. With a huge choice of places to eat, we eventually decided upon La Locanda Del Gatto Rosso. Genuinely, the best spaghetti carbonara I have ever tasted and most amazing pizza – but surely that’s what you’d expect in Italy.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

After enjoying our lovely meal, we crossed the road to Venchi chocolate shop. Delighting in their gelato cones, it was then time to head to the Hotel. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn North. Whilst being fairly far out, it was a beautiful hotel and we were spoilt by the views of the city.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II ceiling

It was then time to get ready for an evening in Navigli. We entered an area filled with shops and restaurants either side of the canal. All the lights reflecting in the water, we sat down to enjoy a few drinks at Luca E Andrea. As it was Italy, you couldn’t go far wrong with the wine!

Navigli

Taking in the atmosphere, we met a lovely American couple. We spent the rest of the night picking their brains about New York and the Italy tour they’d undertaken- garnering ideas for future adventures.

We moved on together to an “Irish” pub, which was weirdly a club… We swiftly moved on and headed for bed.

The Journey South from Scotland

Saying goodbye to our lovely cottage, we began our journey south. But not before one last exploration of Scotland.

Ben Lomond

Beginning at the tip of Loch Lomond, we drove north along the A82 through Luss and on to Inverbeg. Tight to the loch edge, we got a full view of Ben Lomond and the surrounding mountains standing proud. It was a fantastic feeling to see the mountain we had conquered in front of us.

Loch Lomond

Reaching Inverbeg, we diverted off through Glen Douglas. Taking us along a single track road, we were immersed in the mountains. In full autumn colours, it was incredible.

Beginning of Glen Douglas

Mountains along the Glen Douglas Pass

Glen Douglas Pass

Passing through some army bases, we came out to the A814, which took us along the edge of Loch Long. Here we could see across to the Argyll Forest with its magnificent evergreens that border the banks of the loch. A place to visit next time.

Across to Argyll Forest

Continuing south, we split off from Loch Long to discover Gare Loch and the more built-up towns of Helensburgh and Dumbarton. Scanning across to the opposite side of the River Clyde, we could see Greenock and Port Glasgow.

Loch Long

Sight-seeing over, we began the long drive down to Newcastle: our next destination. As we neared the city, we diverted to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Chris was especially interested in visiting this outcrop of land as it is temporarily cut off from the mainland at high tide.

Lindisfarne Priory

Lindisfarne is one of the areas I often visited on family holidays as a child, so holds a lot of sentimental value. We took a peek at the Lindisfarne Priory before exploring the beach and some of the quaint shops dotted around the village. A yummy carrot cake and coffee was consumed at Pilgrim’s Coffee House.

Holy Island of Lindesfarne

Holy Island of Lindisfarne

Realising the time, we wandered a short way down to the castle, which was unfortunately under refurbishment, before jumping back in the car for the last night of our trip – an Antarctic Monkeys’ gig in Newcastle.

Holy Island Beach

Our holiday complete. We celebrated my birthday before returning to London and normality.

Struggling up Ben Lomond

Our first full day in Drymen, we decided to go exploring. But, by the time we reached the starting point of the Ben Lomond trail, it was already after 1pm. With an estimated 4-6 hour trek ahead of us, I did warn that we would be returning in the dark.

Undeterred, Chris insisted we climb Ben Lomond. So we set off along the Main Path to the summit from Rowardennan.

You almost immediately start to climb through the lower trees. It was a perfect day as the sun joined us for short bursts and we were only slightly spattered by the expected Scottish rain. Trees in full autumn colour, the views were spectacular as I stopped every 5 minutes to take photographs.

The path is well-trodden and definitely one of the easier trails I have climbed. Obviously, it is a popular walk. Today, however, we almost had the mountain to ourselves.

This first section of the walk is fairly steep, with uneven steps climbing the high gradient sides. As with most mountain climbs, we did not immediately begin to climb Ben Lomond, but circled around onto the ridge via its neighbouring mounts.

Upon reaching the ridge, the trail evened out and became almost easy as we meandered along. Inclining gradually, the views only got better. Every time we turned around, we gasped with the beauty presented before us.

As the sun broke through and drizzle continued in the surrounding valleys, a weird phenomenon occurred. Not a drop of rain fell on us as we observed an incredible full rainbow that kept us company for the rest of the journey.

As we got further towards the summit, which loomed through the cloud before us, we met more and more people returning. Only 20 minutes left, 15 minutes, 5 minutes. Their estimations were definitely optimistic as we struggled up the last steep climb to the summit.

One hundred metres from the top, my legs suddenly gave way – I’m not as fit as I once was! Chris had to seriously use his powers of persuasion to get me that last little bit. I could not turn back now!

But we made it. Utterly exhausted and now a little wet as the rain drew in. The top of Ben Lomond was soaked with huge puddles everywhere. The view was worth the pain.

With the light fading, we could not stay long at the top. It now became a race to the bottom before darkness ensued. Our knees buckling as we traversed the steep steps to the bottom, the journey seemed much longer than on our way up.

At points, we slipped and ankles were twisted, but we continued with the backdrop of a pink and purple sunset. Truly beautiful and something we would not have seen had we not been walking down the mountain at this time.

Nevertheless, the last couple of hundred metres were attempted in complete darkness. With the aid of our mobile phones, we were able to make out the path and get down safely.

Definitely exhausted and muscles that hadn’t been used in a long time aching, we were very satisfied to have completed Ben Lomond. Absolutely worth it.

Searching for Giant Pandas at Edinburgh Zoo

Saying goodbye to the gorgeous garden room we had been staying at in Edinburgh, we headed on towards Drymen. But first, we took a detour to Edinburgh Zoo.

We had booked before visiting onto the 10.45am viewing of the Giant Pandas. The Zoo is home to the only giant pandas in the UK. The female, Tian Tian (Sweetie), was unfortunately kept inside during our visit. Yet, we were hopeful to see the male, Yang Guang (Sunshine).

View from Edinburgh Zoo

Both pandas have identical, but separate enclosures as giant pandas are entirely solitary animals that only meet during breeding season once a year. However, it seemed that Yang Guang didn’t want to say hello us to that morning. He was tucked up warm in his bed!

Deciding that we should come back later, we continued onto Penguins Rock. The large enclosure houses three different species of penguin: Gentoo penguin, King penguin and the Northern Rockhopper penguin.

Penguins Rock

We enjoyed watching them play in the water fountain and look inquisitively at the humans watching them behind the glass.

Northern Rockhopper Penguins

King Penguin

Continuing on, we came across the Rhinoceros enclosure. We were impressed by the size and variety of habitats provided by the zoo, but it was a little cold for him that day. We found him in his home, which is open for the public to walk through. I was amazed at his size! I don’t think I’d ever been as close to a rhino before.

Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros

Wandering round, we came to the Tapir enclosure, where we saw her asleep with her beautifully striped baby. We passed through the bird enclosures, where we saw snowy owls to rainbow lorikeets, on to the Banteng (an animal between a cow and a deer) and the Visayan Warty Pig enclosure before reaching the otters.

Oriental Short-Clawed Otters

It looked empty until the first otter poked his head out of their hidey-hole. Suddenly there were five Oriental short-clawed otters scampering to get a drink at the pool. One curious individual decided to go for a wander away from the group.

Oriental Short-Clawed Otter

Making a U-turn we headed towards the Pigmy Hippos, which I absolutely loved. I wasn’t expecting them to look so shinny!

Pigmy Hippos

Stopping by the Cassowary, who looked at us suspiciously, we carried on to the Egyptian Vulture and Gelada Baboons. We watched the baboons for a while as there were a lot of babies clinging to their mothers. At one point we saw sudden movement and screams as a fight broke out. We have no idea what caused it but it was interesting to see the group dynamic.

Cassowary

Gelada Baboons

Climbing now, we reached the Scottish Wildcat, who was hiding pretty well at the top of a tree. Then we saw some people crowding around an area. When we entered the zoo, we were informed the Tigers and Lions would be cordoned off due to it being their breeding season. I was really disappointed as they are my favourite. Yet, at this point, there was one tigress visible in her enclosure.

Tigress

I was over the moon!

Continuing on, we reached the Zebra and Antelope African Plains. It was beautiful to walk out across a bridge into the enclosure and look out at the zebras silhouetted against the Scottish landscape.

Antelopes

Zebras

View of the plain with zebras in the foreground

Having watched them for a while, we wandered back down and into the Wallaby Outback walkthrough.

Swamp Wallabies

Leaving them to sun themselves, we visited the Koalas before making our way to the Small Monkeys Magical Forest. I couldn’t believe how tiny some of these monkeys are. This little guy was a bit of a character.

Goeldi’s Monkey

It was time to visit the Squirrel and Capuchin monkeys, who are currently taking part in research by the zoo to understand their behaviour more. Whilst we didn’t get the chance to see an experiment, it was interesting to read about. Plus, the Squirrel monkeys are especially cute.

Brown Capuchin Monkeys

Common Squirrel Monkeys

Realising that it was almost time for the Penguin Parade, we headed back stopping at the Sun Bears, Brilliant Birds and Gibbons as we went.

Sun Bear

Bali Starling

Taking a prime seat in the Penguin Café, we enjoyed a pasty as we watched a small group of penguins being directed through the crowd of people. Whilst not quite the “parade” we were expecting, it was lovely to see the children so excited.

After a short break, we took in the Wee Beasties exhibit before rushing back to the Chimpanzees Budongo Trail. Another centre of research, this building housed our closest relative. With many rooms for the chimps to hang out in and lots of viewing platforms for us, the centre is definitely set up well with plenty of information on the zoo’s Ugandan conservation work.

Chimpanzees

Content we’d taken in the Budongo trail enough, we moved on to the Lemur Walkthrough and Monkey Walkthrough – except they were all tucked up in their houses! A little too cold maybe…

White-Faced Saki

Moving on, we saw the flamingos dancing and spotted a Red Panda in the top of its tree. We then said hello to the Pelicans and caught a glimpse of the meerkats. The day coming to a close, we decided to try the Panda enclosure one last time.

Flamingos

Though of course, Yang Guang had decided to show his face this time and everyone had had the same idea… There must have been a hundred people waiting. So we dipped into the Monkey House where we saw Drill and Barbary Macaque, Diana Monkeys and more Capuchins.

Barbary Macaque

Drill

Pretty exhausted, we jumped in the car for the drive to Drymen near Loch Lomond. After a little struggle to find the cottage we headed out to eat.

We found Drymen Inn, which I would highly recommend to anyone in the area. My Chicken Stroganoff was the best I’ve ever had!

Stay tuned for more of our Scotland holiday!